A Love Not Destined
by erinkateeboo
Summary: When Molly, who is married to Chase, decides to start getting to know the townspeople better in order to ring the purple bell, she never expected to become best friends with Jin, the doctor who just moved back into town. As their friendship grows, Molly begins to realize that he may want to be more than just friends... Rated T for the whole affair theme ;P
1. Prologue

Castanet was dark and silent. Usually, I went to bed at 18:00 on the dot, but tonight was different. I had something to do.

It was 2:00- my sprite, Finn, had me stay up until this ungodly hour in order to find the last bell. I had to ring it for the Harvest Goddess, and Perry had said something about a ghost in the church at this time.

As we reached the top of the steps, we walked into the grand church. At night, it was rather eerie. But before I could think to much, Perry was dashing towards me, screaming with fright.

"Ghost!" he cried. "Ghost in the church!"

"Per-" I started as he ran towards me. Before I could say what I wanted to, however, the frightened priest grabbed my shoulders, shaking me harshly.

"Molly! What are you doing here? Run! Go! The ghost is here!" Then, without any further delay, Perry was gone, slamming the great doors behind him. The church grounds were silent once again, filled with the echoes of Perry's cries.

"Wait... that's not an echo," Finn suddenly said, as if reading my thoughts. "Listen closer, Molly."

I remained quiet as I strained my ears. Sure enough, I could hear soft sobs, coming from inside the church.

"It's not really a ghost, is it?" I asked uncertainly.

"No," said Finn. "It's Edge!"

Quickly, he began to fly, with me running right on his heels. The two of us ran up the stairs to where the church bell sat, dark and dull.

And... purple!

"WAAAH!" sobbed a strong, unfamiliar voice. Suddenly, a small sprite dressed in purple tumbled out of the bell, sobbing loudly.

"Augh!" I said, covering my ears from the shrill sound. "What a crybaby!"

"Molly!" scolded Finn as Edge continued to bawl at my feet. "Edge, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Be-because! Everyone used to make wishes at my shrine, and no one ever comes anymore! I'm so lonely that I can't ring my bell anymore!"

"Edge, please," I said as gently as I could over the sprites loud cries. "What can we do to make you ring your bell? This is very important."

"W-well..." Edge sniffled and squinted up at me with his beady eyes. "If you can ask ten of your friends what they wish for, and bring their wishes to the shrine, then maybe I can ring the bell for you."

"Friends? Must they be friends?" I asked nervously. Ever since I had moved and started my farm, I had had barely any time to speak with anyone in town.

"Of course! If you ask them for their wishes they'll think you're WEIRD if you're not their friend!" Edge cried.

"Hey! It's okay!" Finn flew beside Edge and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry! Molly can do it in no time."

_Ugh. There he goes again, volunteering me for something I have no time for,_ I thought bitterly to myself.

The purple sprite sniffed and wiped his damp eyes. "O-okay. Thank you." And with that, he vanished.

Before Finn could say anything, I turned to look at him crossly. "Finn, seriously? It's going to take me forever to make friends! I have work to do, and a husband to support."

"Well, you have a talent for making time to do things," Finn said. "If anyone can do this, it's you. Besides, have you seen how busy all the townsfolk are around here?"

"Have you seen how much busier I am around here?" I shook my head.

"Molly, please. You're the only one who is diligent enough to get the job done. I know you can do it," Finn said encouragingly.

I was silent for a few moments as I pondered this. "Oh, alright," I finally said. "I'll do it."

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" The little sprite spun in the air with victory, and I couldn't help but smile with him. "Come on, let's go back home. You deserve some rest."

Then, together, we left the church and silently made our way back home.

Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a very complicated relationship with a man I hadn't yet encountered.

* * *

**Hello readers!**

**So, I know that the prologue is a bit hasty, but I wanted to upload at least something before I went on vacation. If you're interested, please favorite/alert/review, and I promise that I'll keep writing as soon as I get back! Thanks :)**


	2. Jin

**Hi again! I actually had time to work on this second chapter, and it's more interesting, I hope :) this story is actually based on my game of Harvest Moon: Animal Parade. I'm married to Chase, but once I got Jin up to 4 hearts, he delivered a gift to my house, blushing with hearts all over. I didn't know others could fall in love with you when you're already married, but okay!**

**I won't be uploading until next week, but please read and review! Thanks! :)**

* * *

The next day, I woke up to the sound of rain pattering against the window. This meant I had to walk everywhere so my horse wouldn't get sick, but I didn't mind; I was usually able to enjoy any weather, even in the cold fall air.

Sliding out of bed, I squinted my sleep-deprived eyes and stretched my limbs, wishing that I hadn't had to stay up so late the previous night.

"Good morning, Molly!" my husband's familiar voice called from the kitchen. Chase was smiling brightly, holding a lunchbox in both of his hands. "I made you a box lunch. It's very nutritious."

I smiled. I wasn't sure if it was just me, but he seemed to say that every morning when he gave me my lunch. "Thank you, Chase," I said, walking over to him to accept his gift. "Hey, do you think you can go fishing today? I have some extra work to do." I remembered my new mission to make friends.

Although I could see in his eyes that he was very unhappy about his chore assignment, he smiled and nodded. "Of course! Good luck," he said.

"Thank you so much! Have a great day. I'll see you tonight," I smiled and kissed his cheek before running out the door to feed my livestock.

**xXx**

"Finn, do you think you can do me a favor?" I asked the sprite by my side as I collected eggs from my fowls.

"Certainly! What do you want me to do?" he asked happily.

I patted my happy duck, Dani, on the head. "I want you to make a list of everyone in town. Find out what they like, what they don't like, stuff like that. Do you think you can do that while I'm working? It will make things much easier on me."

"B-but Molly!" Finn cried, a frown suddenly pasted on his face. "I can't leave your side!"

"Yes, you can," I said. "I give you special permission. Please? It would help soo much!" I smiled as sweetly and irresistibly as I could.

Finn "harumphed." "Oh, alright. I'm only doing this for you and the Harvest Goddess, though." And with that, he zoomed out the door.

"Thank you!" I called out after him.

**xXx**

Since I didn't have to water my plants, the morning went quickly.

_Well, I guess this means I get to spend all day in the mines,_ I thought to myself. I enjoyed mining, but sometimes it could be dangerous, and it took a lot of energy.

_I better make sure I have Remedies and Bodigizers_. I rummaged through my deceivingly small rucksack (it was like a Mary Poppins bag!), looking for the two drinks.

"Let's see, here..." I pulled out my hoe, followed by my sickle, then by my watering can, to see several thermoses of strawberry milk, colorful herbs, and a few mushrooms and sea urchins. There was much more in there, including my fishing rod, ax, and camera, but nowhere could I see what I was looking for.

"Okay. I can go to the clinic, then go to the cave right next to it and mine there!" With that plan set in my mind, I gathered all my large tools and stuffed them back into my tiny rucksack, wondering yet again how such a small little pouch could fit so many things and not be overbearingly heavy.

**xXx**

Since the clinic wasn't open until 9:00, I decided to take a stroll along the beach and collect some more sea urchins and sakura shells to sell. Then I slowly made my way into town, starting to feel cold and shivery from the rain.

Soon, I was to the clinic. In the window of the door, I saw Irene flip the "CLOSED" sign around to "OPEN." As she disappeared from the window, I scurried to the door and walked into the warm, dry building.

Irene was already across the room, standing behind the counter when I walked in, clothes and hair dripping from the rain.

"Gracious, child! You're soaking wet!" she exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how unhealthy that is for you?"

"I know," I said. "It's just that I don't have an-"

Suddenly, the door behind me opened, causing me to jump and turn around to see who was here with me.

A young man, about my age, stepped into the room, closing a large black umbrella. His hair was long, tied back with a green ribbon. His skin was tan, and the glasses that framed his eyes gave me the impression that he was very intelligent. His white lab coat and suit were also a dead giveaway that he was a doctor.

He hung his umbrella on a coat rack near the door and walked right past me as if he hadn't seen me. "Hello, grandmother," he said, his serious face breaking out into a beaming smile.

"Jin!" Irene's usually serious face lit up as she saw this man named Jin, and she stepped from behind the counter. "Welcome home, grandson!" She took his hands in her own. "It's been so long!"

"Yes, I know," said Jin. "I was gone a lot longer than I thought I would be, but I'm back now."

Suddenly, Irene's eyes flicked over to me. "Oh, how rude of me!" she exclaimed. "Jin, you haven't met Molly, have you? She's the new rancher I told you about. The one who's married to Chase."

Now, Jin was looking at me, inspecting me from head to toe. "Yes, I remember hearing about her. Hello, Molly," he said formally, holding out his hand. "I'm Jin. I've been off studying medicine."

I grasped his dry hand in my wet one. "It's nice to meet you," I said, smiling at him. His face was very serious, but held a small, polite smile. "Sorry I'm so... wet."

"Are you feeling alright? Do you have a cold?" Irene asked, stepping back behind the counter.

"Oh, no! I'm fine! At least, I don't have one yet," I said with a shrug. "I'm just about to go mining in the caves, and I have run out of Bodigizers and Remedies." I could feel Jin's eyes on my back as I spoke to Irene, and I tried not to be intimidated.

"Oh, Molly, I wish you would take better care of yourself," Irene said in a grandmotherly voice. "Walking around in the rain, on top of spending the day in that cold, wet cave will surely get you a cold. How many?"

"Five each, please," I said. As she rummaged behind the counter, I hesitated before deciding to ask her something. "Hey, Irene," I said nervously.

"Yes?" she said, placing several Bodigizers on the counter before me.

"Um... I was just wondering... Well, I haven't really had much time to get to know everyone in town yet, but... would you consider me a friend at all...?" I looked at her hopefully.

Irene stopped what she was doing, a look of surprise in her eyes. "What, dear?" she asked.

"Would you consider me a friend at all?" I asked again, embarrassed that Jin was still there to hear me make a fool of myself.

"Well..." Irene said, obviously searching for an honest, but nice answer. "You certainly are a valued resident in our town, and we are all very lucky to have you." She gave me a small smile, then quickly placed five remedies on the counter before me.

I was silent for a moment. "Um... okay. Thanks." I quickly paid, stuffed the drinks in my rucksack, and briskly walked past Jin to the door. My cheeks were on fire, and I hung my head as I opened the door.

"Have a good day!" Irene called after me as I shut the door behind me. I didn't bother to respond.

I leaned against the wall of the building, a feeling of shame overwhelming me. I closed my eyes against the rain and let out a sigh.

"So. I save their town from a drought, and they don't even consider me their friend," I muttered to myself. I mean, it wasn't like anyone knew for sure that it was me who had been restoring Castanet, but still!

"Hey," said a deep male's voice from beside me.

My eyes flew open in alarm at the sudden voice. I looked over, only to see Jin standing there, umbrella open over his head, looking at me.

Quickly, feeling even more embarrassed, I pushed myself off the concrete wall. "Wow you're quiet! I didn't even hear you!" I smiled nervously, although I could feel my face burning up again.

"Sorry," he said with a small smile. "I... just wanted to catch you before you ran off and apologize for what my grandmother said." Jin pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Pretty much everyone here is very... honest."

I shook my head. "No, it's okay," I said. "I'm not sure what I was expecting."

An awkward silence engulfed both of us. "Um," I said after several long seconds. "I should go... I've got lots of work in the mines waiting for me."

"Oh, yes, of course," Jin said. "I suppose I'll see you around?"

"Yes, definitely," I said, bowing politely. "Bye."

With a curt nod, Jin turned and went back inside, leaving me alone in the thunderstorm.

Despite myself, I smiled. Although I had completely humiliated myself in front if him, this Jin seemed to be a very nice young man.

_Maybe he'd make a good friend_, I thought innocently to myself.


	3. Jin's Day Off

**Hi readers!**

**I am very sorry for the delayed update; I was gone a day longer than I thought, then we got back really late last night. But! I had lots of time to think about what the rest of this fanfiction will hold :)**

**Also, I'm sorry for this anti-climatic chapter. If I didn't end it right here, I would have a REALLY long chapter, and I wouldn't know how to end the next one. Please let me know what you like and don't like- believe it or not, reviews help me A LOT, no matter what they say :)**

**Thank you for being patient with me~ enjoy!**

* * *

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Harmonica Town.

_So much better than all that rain from yesterday,_ Jin thought, leaning against the railing in front of the clinic. He didn't much like the rain, but even if it were rainy, he knew he would spend his day off outside, anyway. He always had, before he went off to study medicine.

As Jin looked out beyond the town, he could see all the way past Molly's farmland, and all the way to Flute Fields. Even in the fall weather, everything looked much brighter and more lively than when he had left it in its drought.

"Candace, look! Jin's home!" a female's voice said from below him. He looked down to see Candace and Luna, Luna was smiling brightly up at him, while Candace gave him a small but nervous smile. "Hi Jin!" Luna called, waving her hand up at him. "Or should I say, _Doctor_ Jin?"

Jin smiled back down at the two girls. "Good morning, ladies," he said politely.

"When did you even get home? Why didn't you say 'hi' to us?" Luna pouted.

"I just got home yesterday," Jin explained. "I had to catch up with my grandmother.

Before Luna could reply, there was a loud noise in the distance.

_Clippity cloppity clippity cloppity_

Jin looked up in response, only to see the new farmer, Molly, galloping at full speed down the path leading into town. Below him, both Luna and Candace visibly stiffened.

"Hahaha," Luna laughed nervously. "Have you met Molly? She sure goes fast on her horse..."

"She doesn't slow down for anyone," Candace muttered.

_Clippitycloppityclippitycloppity_

Sure enough, Molly raced across the bridge, and Mayor Hamilton and Simon both had to dive out of the way.

"Good to see you, Molly!" The mayor cheerfully called from the ground.

"G'morning, Mayor!" Molly called back. She was heading for Sonata Tailoring.

Suddenly, Luna and Candace grabbed onto one another and jumped back. Luna let out a loud scream, just as Molly came to a VERY abrupt stop right in front of the two girls.

_How rude and inconsiderate,_ Jin thought, surprised that anyone would be so reckless.

However, as Molly hopped off her horse, all conversation between her, Luna, and Candace was drowned out- something was wrong with Molly.

The new rancher was bundled from head to toe in a huge coat and hat, as though it were a cold winter day. Her eyelids drooped over her large eyes, and the rosiness from her cheeks was gone. Her pale forehead shone with sweat, and if Jin looked closely enough, he could see her body shivering, as though she were freezing.

And despite all this, she was still laughing and talking with Luna and Candace.

Jin shook his head. Crazy or not, he couldn't say no to helping a patient. Even on his day off.

**xXx**

It was sunny and bright the next morning.

I was grateful for this- that night in the rain, I had made my way home, painstakingly slow, with my head pounding and muscles quivering from the cold and fatigue I felt.

That morning, I felt even worse. Before I could drag myself out of bed, I felt Chase's strong hand on my forehead.

"No good," he said, shaking his head. "Your cold got worse over night. Now you have a fever."

I shivered beneath the quilt. "It's okay," I said. "It'll probably just go away." I started to climb out of bed, only to have Chase gently stop me.

"No, Molly," Chase said, easing the blanket back over my aching body. "You have to rest. The clinic is closed on Sundays, but I can still call in to get you some medicine."

"Um, Chase?" I said as he started towards the kitchen.

But my words fell away unheard. "Really, Molly, don't worry about anything!" My husband turned and smiled back at me,. "I may not be a farming expert, but I've got you covered for today! Just let me call in and-"

"Honey," I said more assertively. "We don't have a phone."

Chase stopped in his tracks, his back still facing me. There was a long silence, and I could tell that he knew he had been defeated. "... Oh yeah," he finally said very quietly.

Instead, he let me give him two jobs that day- fishing and mining. And I continued to take care of the farm before taking the rest of the day to complete the new task of making friends.

"Molly!" cried Luna as I slid off of my horse's back. "Don't do that! You freak me out every time I see you on that darned horse."

My horse, Maddie, snorted, as though she understood Luna's words.

"Sorry! It's just habit, I guess," I said sheepishly. "The faster you go, the more you get done in a day's work!"

"Ugh!" Luna rolled her eyes. "Anyways, good morning!" Next to her, Candace smiled and bowed politely.

I bowed back. "Good morning! I brought some gifts..." Reaching into my rucksack, I pulled out some strawberry milk and herbal tea.

Luna and Candace both stared at the drinks.

"Oh my gosh..." said Candace, accepting the tea. "To receive something so beautiful..."

_Wow. She loves her tea, I guess_, I thought.

"This is my favorite! How did you know?" Luna smiled brightly and snatched the milk from my hand. "Thanks, Molly!"

"Thank you so much," Candace gave me a real smile, and bowed again.

"Any time!" I smiled back. "Well, I gotta... ACHOO! Excuse me... I gotta run," I said, jumping back on my horse. "Bye!"

"Remember, Molly! Go slower!" Luna called after me as I began to gallop away...

... until a voice stopped me from going any further.

"Molly?"

I didn't recognize the voice at first, but I stopped upon hearing my name.

It was the new doctor. He was standing in front of the clinic, looking at me from the ground.

_How long has he been standing there?_ I wondered nervously.

"Good Goddess," he said. "Do you always ride that fast?"

I felt even more uncomfortable. He had been watching me for a while. "Um..." was all I could say.

Jin suddenly changed the subject. "You don't look so well. Mind if I take a look at you inside?"

Immediately, I shook my head. "No, no!" Despite my rejections, I couldn't stop the next sneeze that escaped. "ACHOO! It's your day off," I said. "I'm fine."

"No, clearly you're not," Jin said. He smiled and opened the door to the clinic. "Please. I really don't believe in 'days off,'" he said. "And it will only take a second."

"Well... okay." I jumped back off of Maddie's back and patted her neck before stepping into the clinic, Jin right behind me.


	4. Checkup

**Hi!**

**I want to upload these chapters as fast as possible, since I have school starting at the end of next month, and I may or may not get a job (we'll see how the interview goes!). But just know that I'm really going to try and take the time to make this a good story. I believe a good quality story that takes a day or two to update is FAR better than a really hasty, poorly-written one that's uploaded five times a day ;)**

**Thank you so much for your reviews! I've really appreciated your feedback, and I do hope that you continue! Like I said, reviews help me tons.**

**Alright! This is for you- enjoy!**

* * *

Jin shut the door behind us. "Why don't you have a seat on the table?" He motioned to the cushioned, paper-covered table in the back of the room.

I did as he told me, the paper crinkling beneath me. Silently, I watched as he went across the room to a desk against the wall, grabbing a clipboard and a large, blocky device out of a drawer. One thing I noticed about him as he came back across the room was the way his face looked when he was relaxed; it seemed that his eyebrows arched down naturally, and there was a permanent frown on his face.

_He sure does look angry,_ I couldn't help but think. Yet, from what I knew about him, he was very kind.

"I'm just going to check your temperature and take a look at you. It won't take long, and you'll be out of here in no time," he said kindly. He tucked his clipboard under his arm, then tried to stick the strange device in my ear.

"Wait, wait!" I said, moving my head away from the tool in surprise. "What is that? What are you doing? Why are you trying to shove that in my ear?"

Jin raised an eyebrow at me. "It's a thermometer, Molly," he simply said. "Have you never seen one of these?"

"That's not a thermometer," I stupidly said. "Thermometers are smaller and they don't go in your ear."

"My word," Jin said, squinting at me in disbelief. "When is the last time you've been to get a checkup?"

My cheeks grew hot. I didn't want to admit it to him, but I honestly didn't remember.

But the doctor didn't give me much of a chance to answer, which I was thankful for. "I can assure you. This is a thermometer, and it does go in your ear. Just not all the way in, if that's what you're thinking. Now, may I?"

I nodded, then let him press the tip of the plastic thermometer in my ear. I heard it beep, then Jin pulled it out and looked at the tiny screen on the device.

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "You've definitely got a fever," he said. "But it seems that this is a very extreme case of a cold. One moment." He turned and went behind the dividing wall, and I heard him rummaging around until he came back with a large, 1.5 liter blue bottle in his hand.

"This is cold medicine," he explained. "The best there is. Once you drink it, you should feel better instantly. But, since you are so sick, I think that as long as you take it easy today, and rest as soon as possible, you should feel better." He handed me the bottle. "Drink up."

"Wha- the whole thing?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, the whole thing."

"But... this bottle is huge! Wouldn't that be overdosing?"

"Molly," Jin said, almost sharply. "Trust me. I'm a doctor."

Hesitantly, I took the bottle from him. "Okay," I said skeptically. "But if I die, then Chase won't be happy."

He smiled, but I thought I saw him roll his eyes as I lifted the bottle to my mouth. I took one mouthful, and had to stop myself from spraying the sickening substance all over Jin's white lab coat.

He took notice of my struggle to swallow. "Yes, it's not the sweetest," he said apologetically. "But it works wonders."

"Are you sure I drink this whole thing? I don't know if I even can! I can't believe you're making me do this. You are evil."

I said those words before I could stop myself. The moment they left me, I clamped my free hand over my mouth in shock at the rude thing I had just said, and looked up at Jin.

The doctor said nothing; he just looked at me sternly, both of his eyebrows raised.

I couldn't even make myself apologize, I was so mortified. Instead, I held my breath, and began chugging the syrupy liquid as fast as I could. Sure enough, I felt my throbbing head turn to a dull ache, my sinuses clearing. I instantly began to feel more alert and awake as I emptied the bottle.

"Wow," I said, looking at the empty bottle in my hands. "You're right! This stuff is amazing!"

Jin smiled and nodded his head. "Right," he said. "Oh! And before you go, I have a gift for you."

Before I could ask, Jin turned and walked over to the coat hanger by the door and grabbed the black umbrella I had seen him with when I first met him. "Here," he said, holding the umbrella out to me. "If you're going to run around like a madman in the rain, then you need this more than I do."

I wasn't sure whether or not to be insulted by his comment, but I was more surprised that he was actually giving me something of his. "Jin, it's okay," I said, holding up my hands to politely refuse. "I can probably just get my own."

"Then why haven't you yet? Surely this isn't the first time you've spent the day soaking in the rain and the cold mines." He held the umbrella up again, and I reluctantly accepted it.

"Okay. Thanks," I said. I unzipped my small rucksack and slipped the umbrella inside.

"Wha-!" Jin suddenly exclaimed. I looked up at him, only to see him staring, wide-eyed, at my rucksack as though he couldn't believe what he had just seen. He grabbed his glasses and tore them off of his face, squinting at the pack on my hip. "Did you just... fit that umbrella... inside _that?_"

I stared back at him and nodded. "Yep! I've got loads of things in here." I unzipped the zipper again, and proceeded to pull out my hoe with one hand, and my sickle in the other. "I also have my fishing rod, my camera, my axe, and everything that I collect while mining and fishing. And there's more where that came from"

Jin shook his head and took a step back, as though I were wielding black magic inside my rucksack as well. "Sorcery..." I heard him mutter, almost inaudibly. "How on earth...?" That seemed to be all he could say as he slowly slipped his glasses back on.

"I dunno, ask Ramsey. He's the one who gave it to me," I said with a shrug. Then, I proceeded to stuff my tools back inside. "He also makes bigger ones that hold more stuff."

Jin was silent with disbelief for several more moments before finally accepting what he had witnessed. "Uhm... yes. Well, I won't keep you here any longer," he said as he opened the door to escort me back outside. "Thank you for your time."

"Wait!" I opened my rucksack back up. "How much for the checkup and medicine?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. This was my day off," Jin said.

"Well, yeah! I should pay you extra because of that."

"Please," Jin said. "I will not accept. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

For a moment, I was speechless. "O-okay," I finally said. "Can I at least give you a tip?"

Jin shook his head. "I do what I do because I love it," he simply said. "And I couldn't let you run around all day feeling sick."

"Well... thank you very much," I said, still extremely surprised at his generosity. "Have a good day," I said as I walked back outside.

"You too," he said. Then he shut the door.

Suddenly, I felt something nudge at my face. I stumbled a little at the impact, but knew it was just Maddie before I turned to look. She whinnied with delight as I stroked her nose. Without further delay, I jumped on her back and headed off to Garmon Mines.

**xXx**

The next day, as I was feeding my animals, I couldn't stop thinking about what Jin had done for me.

Finn seemed to realize that my mind was occupied. "What's the matter, Molly? You look distracted."

"Oh," I said, setting down some fodder in front of my first and favorite animal, Alex. She mooed her thanks to me before digging in. "I was just thinking... I want to repay Jin for yesterday, since he wouldn't take my money... Finn, do you know anything about him?"

"Well..." Finn looked thoughtful. "He loves herbal tea so much that he founded the Tea Club."

"Tea Club?" I raised an eyebrow at the sprite. "What is that? I've never heard of it."

"Really? It's only the most exclusive club in all of Castanet!" Finn looked shocked that I had never heard of it. "It's when all the smart, cultured people who love tea get together every Friday morning. They talk about things like art and classic books, and they usually listen to classical music while they talk and drink tea."

"Seriously? There's a club like that?" I asked in surprise. "Wow... so I should bring him some tea, I guess."

After feeding my animals, I went back inside with a handful of red and yellow herbs to boil in my pot.

As I stood before the pot, waiting for the water to boil, I heard the door open behind me, and Chase walked inside, carrying his fishing rod.

"Hey!" He smiled at me, and noticed the pot of water I was standing in front of. "What are you making?"

I stepped away. "I'm making herbal tea," I muttered.

"Ah," Chase said, advancing toward me to look at my handiwork. "It looks like the water is boiling," he noted.

I put my hands on my hips. "Chase, please. You know I feel uncomfortable when you watch me do any kind of cooking. You're so much better than I am."

"Don't be intimidated! You're quite good! So much better than ol' Maya, anyways." He made a disgusted face at the mention of Maya's name.

"Everyone's better than Maya," I giggled. "Well then, O Amazing One. How can I make the best herbal tea in the universe?"

Chase smiled and came to my side. "Well, use a variety of herbs," he said. He took my hand that was holding the herbs, and picked up two yellow ones and two red ones. "It adds more flavor." He popped them in the water, then grabbed the wooden spoon next to the pot and began to stir it. I smiled and watched him- he was so passionate about what he did, and I was happy that he was so successful.

Next, he took a ladle full of herbal tea and held it up to me. "Open up the tunnel," he said playfully. I rolled my eyes at his comment, but opened my mouth as he touched the ladle to my lips and tilted the tea inside.

"Wow!" I said after I swallowed. "It is really good! And I don't normally care about tea that much."

"See? It's amazing what a little variety can do," he said, setting the empty ladle down. "Are you about to head out?"

I nodded. "Yep! Don't forget to go fishing," I said.

"I won't." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Have a great day!"

"You too," I said back. I collected my herbal tea, walked back outside, jumped onto my horse, and headed for Harmonica Town.

**xXx**

"Good morning, Molly," Irene said as I carefully opened the door, full teacup in hand.

"Good morning, Irene," I said back. My eyes searched the room until they found the person I was looking for. "Jin," I said timidly.

Jin was sitting at his desk on the other side of the clinic, writing vigorously on his clipboard. When he heard his name, his head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. "Ah, Molly," he said, and his perpetual frown turned to a soft smile. He tucked his clipboard away. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I think you've done enough for me. I heard you like herbal tea so much that you're the founder of the Tea Club?"

"Oh! Are you a member?" he asked. "Really, they should have let me know. I am the founder, after all. Even if I was away."

I shook my head. "No, it sounds..." I wasn't sure how to describe my impression of the club.

"Dry? Boring?" Jin smiled. "Most people think so. That's why it's so exclusive. Only people who can appreciate the finer things in life are allowed. But they also have to like tea. A lot."

"Um... okay."

"Why? Are you asking for membership? Because if you want to join the club, then you have to answer some test questions-"

"What?! _Test_ questions? No! That's not why I came!" Just hearing about this stupid club made a vein pop in my head. "I wanted to give you something. Thank you for helping me yesterday." I walked over to him and set the teacup on his desk.

"Oh, my." Although he was still just as calm as ever, I could see that he was very happy. "I do love tea. Thank you so much for your generosity."

"No. Thank you." I smiled as I watched him take a sip of the tea. "You know," I said casually. "There are herbs growing all over my farm. I have an abundance of them, so I make tea. Then I have an abundance of tea. Would you mind just... taking some off of my hands every day?" _Wow, that sounds like a lame excuse to give him tea._

Despite my thoughts, Jin smiled and nodded. "If it is convenient for you, I wouldn't mind a bit," he said.

"Great! Okay, thanks. And... I'm sorry for calling you 'evil,'" I said sheepishly.

Jin chuckled heartily. "It's okay. I understand how unpleasant that medicine is. And so much of it... Scientists are trying to develop a stronger, yet smaller dosage. Besides," he nodded to my rucksack. "I'm not the one using black magic to be able to fit all my things in one small pack."

He said this jokingly, and now it was my turn to laugh. "Well, black magic comes in handy, sometimes," I joked back.

Both of us offered a small laugh, then, at the same time, we drew in a breath and let out a sigh.

"Jinx," I said with a wink. "Okay. It looks like you have a lot of work to do, so I'll leave you to it."

"Ah, right!" the doctor said, pulling his clipboard back out. "You have a wonderful day, alright?"

"Yes, sir!" I bowed, then started towards the door.

"Goodbye, Molly," he said as I turned and walked away. I waved as I went through the door.

"Yes!" I said to Finn. "Now maybe I'm another step closer to ringing that purple bell!"

* * *

**Anyone happen to know what the Tea Club is referencing? If you watch The Office, you may know ;) Thank you so much for the support!**


	5. The Incident(s)

**Hey! I got to upload two days in a row! I guess that's what happens when you have nothing else to do ;) enjoy!**

* * *

At first, Jin wasn't sure that he liked this Molly girl much.

She seemed wild and crazy, and she didn't really seem to have anything nice to say. Just like her husband, Chase. No wonder they got married; they were perfect together.

But, after a week of her bringing him herbal tea every morning was enough to get her on his good side.

On Saturday, Molly came into the clinic, as usual, while he was beginning his work at his desk. This time, however, it was very awkward.

Molly nervously shuffled over to him. "Here's your tea," she said, setting it down before him. "Um... So, I'm sorry about yesterday."

Jin felt uncomfortable at the mention of what had happened the previous morning. "No, don't worry about it," he said. "I know you didn't do that on purpose."

"Yeah, but everyone seemed to think I did..."

"We've missed you, Jin!" Anissa anounced. "Tea Club just hasn't been the same without you."

Jin stood up from the table. "It's good to be back," he said, looking out at the small group- Anissa, Perry, and, to his surprise, Candace. She didn't seem the type to join a club, but she definitely belonged with them.

"And thank you, Anissa, for taking my place while I was away. And I'm happy to see that we have a new member," he said. "We're happy to have you, Candace."

She blushed and offered Jin a small smile. "Oh, thanks," she said quietly.

The group was assembled around the table in Anissa's kitchen table. They had set out a fancy lace tablecloth, with a blue china teapot right in the middle. Each had their own matching teacup full of tea in front of them, and a stereo playing Mozart was sitting in the corner of the room.

"Now, let's get started." Jin walked over to a covered easel in front of the table. "We usually talk about famous works of art, but I think it's important to support local art as well. Behold," Jin took the cloth off of the easel to reveal a painting. "The Only One, by Mira." The painting was nothing but a pear sitting on a table in a dark, dismal background.

"Wow," Perry said. "The shading is magnificent."

"I-if I may," Candace said nervously. "I think that this painting is very symbolic of how alone one can feel, and how dark and cold the world can be."

"Nice thought, Candace, but I feel that it represents more serenity," Anissa said as she stared at the painting. "Notice how the light shines on the pear, even though the room appears to be completely dark."

"Well, you also have to think about what the artist was thinking at the time," Jin said. "Look at the date at the bottom. This wasn't long after Mira's husband had died. Do you think she felt lonely or serene? Honestly, Anissa."

This was about when things began to heat up.

"This painting shows that there are always moments of peace, even if the world is against you," Anissa said, trying not to yell. But this was normal- debates like these happened often.

_Creeeaaaak SLAM!_

"Taylor, go away!" Anissa screamed as everyone's head snapped towards the door.

Only it wasn't Taylor.

Molly stood on the doormat, staring wide-eyed at the group. "Um... I just wanted some seeds," she said awkwardly.

All conversation stopped, and all that was heard was Mozart in the background. The tension in the air was almost tangible, and as Jin looked at Molly's face, he could tell that she knew how upset they all were. Everyone was staring at Molly,

And, although it had been accidental, Jin found himself irritated with Molly's interruption.

Then, without another word, Molly slipped back outside, the door swinging shut behind her. Out the window, Jin watched as she jumped onto her brown horse and galloped away at full speed across the field.

"Goodness," Perry said, shaking his head. "No one gives us the respect we deserve." In unison, the group sipped their tea.

"Anyways. I'm really sorry," Molly said again, bowing. She turned to leave, but Jin quickly stopped her.

"Wait," he said. She stopped and turned around.

Jin had a small internal debate. _Do I really want to get to know this seemingly crazy individual?_

"Why don't you have a seat?" he asked before he could answer his own question

Molly was silent for a moment, then she eyed the table in the back of the room. "Why? Are you going to give me another checkup?" she asked.

"No. I just think I would like to get to know you better," Jin said. "I know everyone here so well, except for you."

Molly stared at Jin for a while, her large brown eyes full of surprise at his invitation. "Yeah, okay," Molly said. She stepped back up to Jin and sat in an empty chair that was across from Jin.

Jin started off. "So, where are you from?" he asked.

"The city," Molly said with a shrug.

"Wow, I'm a little surprised to hear that," Jin said. "What made a city girl like you decide to take up farming in a small town?"

"Well, I guess you can say it was the same reason you became a doctor. It's been my dream for as long as I can remember. And all my siblings are farmers, too. So I guess it's just a family thing."

"Siblings, eh? How many siblings do you have?"

"Three. Angela, Kasey, and Kevin. I'm the second youngest."

"Interesting," Jin said.

"We were all going to start a farm together, but that just didn't happen," Molly said.

Jin imagined Molly and her three siblings, all riding their horses together through the town at the speed of light, causing mayhem. He shuddered at the thought. "Well, perhaps it's for the best," he said with a smile.

"I guess. There would be lots of fighting," Molly said, frowning.

Jin imagined this as well; all four of them, yelling and screaming, and maybe even physically brawling wherever they went.

He wasn't sure he liked the idea of four Mollys all together.

"You seem to be very successful on your own," Jin said. Hopefully this conversation wasn't giving her any ideas to invite her siblings to the island. He would subtly discourage it as much as possible.

"Yeah, so much better than if Kasey were here." She rolled her eyes at the mention of her brother's name.

_Good. She's not getting any ideas,_ Jin thought with relief.

"Do you have any siblings? If you don't, then consider yourself lucky!" Molly said.

Jin stiffened. He didn't usually get asked questions about his family, and talking about it to others made him uncomfortable. "Well... whenever I ask about my parents, my grandmother likes to tell me that a stork brought me to her house as a baby. I'm not sure if she realizes this, but I stopped believing her when I was ten. Still, I know nothing of my parents, or if I had siblings."

(Can you see why he was uncomfortable? ;))

Molly blinked. "_Irene_ told you that?"

Jin nodded, very seriously...

... until Molly busted up laughing.

"I can't believe it!" Molly said in between giggles. "She always seems so serious!"

Despite himself, Jin smiled. "Well, she always holds a straight face when she tells me."

"She _still_ tells you?! That's crazy! Does she know how old you are?"

Jin laughed with her. "I thought she did, but now that you mention it, I'm not so sure..."

Both of them laughed hard for a good while, before Molly sighed and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh, man. Maybe you should just ask her how old you are and see what she says."

"I'll let you know what she says," he said with another laugh.

Suddenly, there was a loud snort from outside. Jin and Molly whipped their heads up, only to see Molly's horse, staring impatiently at Molly through the window.

Molly stood up. "Ah, looks like Maddie wants me. Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wonderful," Jin said, bowing his head. "Thank you for talking with me."

"No, thank you," Molly said as she made her way over to the door. "G'bye!"

The clinic was now completely quiet, as Irene wasn't yet present. A smile crept onto Jin's face as he realized something.

That was the most he'd laughed with anyone in a long time.

**xXx**

When I arrived home that evening, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of my crop field.

_Oh, yeah,_ I thought to myself. That morning, I had walked outside, only to see that there had been some kind of storm overnight, resulting in several huge rocks and boulders in the midst of my crops. Thankfully, not many crops had been destroyed, so I had decided to take care of later.

_Well, I guess later is now,_ I thought glumly as I made my way over to the boulders. I was tired from the day's work, but I wasn't one who liked slacking.

As I began to smash at the rocks with my hammer, a hiccup escaped me. Then another. Then another.

_Now I have the hiccups? Really?_ How annoying this whole situation was.

"Need a hand?" I stopped and turned around. Chase was there, holding his own mining hammer.

"Ah! Thank you so- hic- much!" Chase came to my side, and together, we hit at the large rock, slowly breaking it down.

"I see you have the hiccups," Chase commented as I hiccuped for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, it's really annoying... hic."

"Well, I think it's very cute, but maybe there's a way we can get rid of them," Chase said with a sly smile.

"What? Are you going to do something to me?" I asked worriedly.

"Maybe you'll see," he said smugly.

"Chase, you're making me nervous!" I said, lightly hitting his shoulder. He just laughed.

"Let's focus on getting this rock broken down," Chase said with a wink. "Oh! One sec, though. I think I left my fishing rod by the river. Be right back."

I nodded, and he left while I continued pounding away at the rock, hiccuping all the while.

But it wasn't for a very long while, because suddenly, I felt a pair of hands on my hips.

"BOO!" a voice yelled into my ear.

"AAUGGH!" I screamed. And, reflexively, I turned, hammer in hand...

... and smacked Chase across the face. _Hard_.

Chase stumbled back on the heavy impact, nearly falling over, but catching himself with clumsy feet. "OUCH!" he cried as he turned away from me and hunched over in pain, clenching the left side of his jaw.

"Good Goddess!" I exclaimed, running over to my moaning husband. "I am SOOO sorry! Oh, I cannot believe I did that. Are you okay?!"

"Okay?!" Chase was yelling, despite his serious injury. "Are you kidding me? You just whacked me in the face with a freaking hammer!"

"I know, I'm sorry! Just let me take a look at it-" I tried to gently pry his hands from his face, but he hit my hand away.

"No! You're probably just going to hit me again!"

Now, anger was beginning to boil inside me. "I said I was sorry! And what do you expect, scaring me while I'm holding a hammer? You're being overly dramatic!"

"I was trying to help you get rid of your hiccups!" Now, Chase was standing up straight, glaring into my eyes.

"Chase. I. Am. _Sorry._ How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me?!"

He ignored my question. "Augh... clumsy fool," he muttered. Then, he stormed off in the direction of the house. "Don't ever come near me with that thing again!" And, with that, he slammed the door behind him so hard, that I feared it would break.

"Curse you, Chase!" I screamed in my rage.

Now, I actually _wanted_ to hit him with my hammer.

* * *

**Hehe... I've never done this, but I heard that if you hit your spouse with a hammer, you can lose hearts from them XD**

**CottonCandyMareep and heavenXscent, thank you for your reviews! They're quite insightful, and I am very glad you guys take the time to review :) So let's keep the trend going- review! Thanks :)**


	6. HOT!

**I noticed that I've got some new followers for ALND :) I hope you're all enjoying reading!**

**Also. Cotton Candy Mareep pointed out that the last chapter was a bit confusing. I am SO sorry about that- I had meant to mention this, but whenever I write a flashback scene, I write it all underlined. So the underlined section was actually a flashback. I just forgot to say at the beginning of the chapter, and for that, I am sorry.**

**Also, the reason I write Molly in first person and Jin in third is because I'm better at writing fanfictions in third person, but I wanted to write this in first person because I wanted it to be more of Molly's story. Writing from Jin's perspective just gives me a little break from the first person writing, and I also thought it would differentiate them more. But if it's confusing, then I'll try to find a way to make it less so :)**

**Anyways! Have fun reading this very strange chapter :)**

* * *

"WHAT?!" Luna stood up from the table and slammed her hands down. "You mean to tell me that you hit your husband across the face with a _hammer?!_"

"It was an accident!" I said defensively.

"Molly, how was it an accident?" Candace asked in her sweet, quiet voice.

"He scared me while I was holding my hammer. I just did it reflexively," I explained.

"Oh, Molly..." Luna shook her head and sat back down. "Was this yesterday?"

"No, it was three days ago," I said. "He's still mad at me. I've been sleeping in the barn every night because he's so unpleasant to be around."

"So that's why you're covered in hay." Luna leaned across the table and plucked a piece straw out of my hair. "What does he do?"

"Whenever I say I'm sorry, he just says he doesn't want to talk. It's so annoying! I just don't get him sometimes..." I sighed and rested my forehead in my hand.

"Well, Chase has always been... kind of like that," Candace pointed out.

"Hotheaded? Yes, he has. But he was so sweet when I got to know him better..."

Suddenly, the door to Sonata Tailor opened, and in walked Kathy. "Howdy!" she said upon seeing the three of us.

"Kathy, you'll never believe this!" Luna stood up from the table again in excitement, while I hid my face with both hands. "Molly struck Chase with a hammer, and now he's pissed at her."

"What?! Seriously, why?" Kathy asked, walking over and taking the chair next to me.

"How many times do I have to say that it was an _accident?_" I said, dropping my hands in exasperation.

"Is that why he hasn't been at the Bar?" Kathy asked.

I nodded. "He's being a huge baby about it. And I apologize like twenty times a day, but he doesn't seem to hear me."

Kathy shook her head. "That's Chase, for you," she said. "Girl, you have to take a stand. Tell him to accept your apology, or get out. It is your house, after all."

"Hm," I said. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just letting him act this way."

"Every relationship has its rough patches," Candace piped up. "I'm sure this will end soon."

"I guess we'll see," I replied.

**xXx**

Right as I walked into the clinic, I realized I had forgotten something.

"Dang it!" I said right when I walked inside.

"Molly? What's the matter?" Irene said from behind the counter.

Before I could answer, the door next to the counter opened, and Jin stepped into the room. "Hey, what's the problem?" he asked casually.

"Hi, Irene. Hi Jin," I said. "Jin, I think I ran out of tea... I'm really sorry. I can go back and-"

"No, don't bother," Jin said. "Why don't we do something a little different this morning?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"I can make tea. Here." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. I had noticed that this seemed to be a habit of his. "I don't mean to brag, but many years of having tea every day has made me a very good tea-maker."

"Oh, Jin," Irene suddenly said. "Don't bore her with your tea talk or whatever. She doesn't want to hear of it."

"Grandmother, if you're talking about Tea Club, then that is a closed club," Jin said, almost sharply. "There are no outside organizations. This is just for fun."

"What, then? Is your club just for boredom?" Irene asked in her sweet, elderly voice.

Jin rolled his eyes, and I stifled a laugh- I would have never guessed, but Irene was very witty.

**xXx**

"Here's how you do it," Jin and I stood over a boiling pot of water in the kitchen area. It was in the back of the clinic, and I had never seen it before. "You have to make sure that you use more than one type of herb. That way, it's more flavorful."

"Yeah, Cha-" I stopped abruptly, before Chase's name fully escaped my lips. It could have been the fact that he was mad at me, or the fact that I was with Jin. But for some reason, I didn't want to talk about him or think about him right then.

"Um... I heard somewhere that that's the way to do it." Jin looked at me, almost suspiciously, but he said nothing, and silence fell between us.

"So, making tea must be some kind of science to you," I finally joked to lighten the mood.

Jin shook his head. "That's why the Tea Club exists. It's only for those who can completely relate," he said.

"Okay, sorry. I didn't know you were so serious about this club," I said back.

He just smiled. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, looking back at me. "You seem a bit... I don't know. Distant, maybe?"

"Oh, yeah," I threw a grin on my face, to try and convince him. "Everything's going just dandy! So," I tried to change the subject. "It looks about re- HOT!"

As I had looked into the pot, I had wrapped my hand under one of the metal handles without thinking. But, instead of taking my hand OFF the handles, I ended up flinging the pot with all my might, splashing the boiling hot tea on Jin's chest.

Then, everything after that happened very fast.

"OH MY GODDESS!" I had never heard him yell, nor did I think I ever would. "HOT!" His shirt, soaked with fiery hot tea, clung to his chest, and I watched, not sure what to do, as he let his white lab coat drop to the floor and he tore his shirt off over his head.

Suddenly, I decided to spring into action. I opened a cupboard above the sink, grabbed a small salad bowl, and turned the faucet to cold, filling the bowl with cold water. Then, I turned and threw the water on Jin's chest.

"Ahh! What in the name of heaven are you doing?!" Jin cried, his voice tight with pain.

"If you put cold water on a burn immediately after, it should go away!" I frantically continued filling the bowl, and flinging it on Jin, ignoring his protests.

"Molly, stop!" he yelled as I threw another bowl of water on him. Just as I turned my head to fill the bowl again, I noticed the sprayer attached to the sink.

Needless to say, things got quite worse.

I snatched the sprayer in my hand, pulled the trigger and sprayed it straight at poor Jin.

"Enough!" he pleaded. Hurriedly, he turned, opened a cabinet, and turned back around with a kitchen towel in his hand. He rushed over to me with the towel, then muffled the sprayer with the towel.

"Enough, Molly!" he said, silently yet sharply.

I took my hand off the sprayer and tucked it back into its slot. Jin leaned against the counter, soaking wet from head to toe. He closed his eyes, holding the damp towel over his chest, and hissed with pain.

"Oh my... Jin, I am so sorry." Instantly, I began to panic. I looked around the kitchen- almost everything was dripping wet, and there were large puddles of water on the floor where Jin had been standing. And, despite my ridiculous efforts, I could still see splotches of red on Jin's torso.

_He's gonna hate me now. He's going to hold a grudge like Chase did._

And then, much to my utter surprise and shock, Jin began to laugh.

I snapped my head up at him. His eyes were closed, and he was shaking his head, but there was a big smile on his face as he laughed. "Wow," he said. "You really jumped into action, there," he said. He took off his round glasses, which were covered in water droplets.

I looked at him, stunned. "This isn't funny, Jin!" I scolded. "I almost melted your skin off!"

But, with every word I spoke, Jin just kept laughing harder, until he was almost doubling over.

"Hey! Stop laughing! Be mad at me, or something!"

Jin sighed, but he didn't stop smiling. "Molly," he said, looking straight at me. "I don't think I could ever get mad at you. Even if you had succeeded in melting my skin off."

I looked at him. "R-really?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, really," he said softly. He took the towel and wiped his glasses off, before replacing them on his face. "I mean, I know you didn't try to kill me on purpose," he said with another light laugh.

Then, to add to my embarrassment, tears began to well up in my eyes. I quickly hung my head, hoping that Jin hadn't noticed.

"Oh, no," I heard him say, much to my dismay (a rhyme!). His feet splashed across the wet ground until he was standing right in front of me. "Hey, it's okay! I promise."

"No, it's not that," I informed him, turning my hanging head away from him. "It's..."

I stopped myself. It was that my own husband couldn't forgive me, but a man I wasn't even married to could.

Also, that I seemed to bring physical pain to everyone around me.

"I have to go." I turned and rushed out the door.

"Please, wait, Molly," Jin said behind me. But instead, I shut the door and practically ran outside.

* * *

**Oh, stubborn Chase... Anyways, you know what to do ;) thanks for reading!**


	7. Author's Note

**My heavens.**

**So, when I originally wrote chapter five, I had underlined the whole section with the Tea Club to show it was a flashback. Turns out, once I copied and pasted it onto my Doc Manager, the underlines got deleted, and I hadn't seen. WTF, ?!**

**Anyways. I replaced the chapter, so if you want to go back and see to get things straight, go right ahead! Again, I am very sorry about the whole confusion. I would have been super weirded out too ;)**

**Okay! Expect a chapter upload either today or tomorrow! Thanks for reading/following/reviewing :)**

**~erinkateeboo**


	8. Conflict Resolution (Maybe)

**So, this chapter is kind of boring, because it's to "bridge" things, if you will. I don't know about you, but I like to heat things up a little more slowly, if you know what I mean... ;)**

**Anyways, I think next chapter should have more action, or something :) But please enjoy anyways!**

* * *

**Molly POV:**

"Molz!"

I snapped my head up from the river, looking down the path that led into Flute Fields.

No one was there.

_Maybe I'm just hearing things_, I thought as I turned my attention back to fishing.

"Molz! Over here!"

I looked up again. This time, I heard the voice coming from the watermill. Sure enough, when I looked, I saw Julius, standing on the patch of land below the watermill, waving up at me.

"Hi, Julius!" I said, waving back. I didn't know Julius very well, but I had always thought she was pretty cool.

And, yes. I said_she_. Almost my entire first year in Castanet, I had thought Julius was a girl. But honestly, can you blame me?

"Come over to my house!" Julius called, motioning to the small, modest house behind the mill.

_Why not?_ I thought, reeling in my fishing reel. I jogged across the rest of the bridge and met Julius at the door of his house.

"It's my day off," he said, opening the door. "Ladies first."

Even after he said this, I still thought he was a female. "Oh, whatever," I said, walking through the door. "You're lots prettier than I am!"

"Oh, stop it, you," he replied, flicking his hand. He shut the door, and I looked around. The inside of the house wasn't as modest as on the outside; everything in the house was seemingly purple and pink, and the aroma of flowery perfume was almost unbearably strong in my nostrils.

"You look fab today," he said as he walked past me. "Love the dress. I just think it's great that you don't let work get in the way of fashion."

I looked down at my blue eastern dress. "Oh, thanks," I said, starting to feel flattered with the way I was being complimented.

"I know you're busy, but I just wanted to tell you something. Have a seat." Julius sat at the table, motioning to the chair across from him.

_What could she possibly want me for? I don't really see her that often..._ I thought, sitting down.

"Look, Chase and I have both lived in Flute Fields since we were old enough to get our own places," Julius said.

"Oh, great. If you heard some gossip or whatever, then it's none of anyone's business, and we don't have to talk about it," I snapped, standing up from my chair. "Is this all you wanted me for?"

"My goodness, Molz, you're acting ridiculous!" Julius furrowed his eyebrows. "What 'gossip' are you talking about?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "You know what? Nothing. Nothing at all."

Julius was quiet for a second before clearing his throat. "What I was going to say is that Chase LOVES sapphires. Did you know that? He usually doesn't tell people, because he's embarrassed about it." Julius rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I don't know why. I mean, a strong young man like him shouldn't hide who he is- I never do, even if people might think I'm 'girly,' or whatever."

"It's okay to be girly, though... right?" I said, somewhat puzzled by what he had just said.

"Do_you_ think I'm girly?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

I looked at him in silence, unsure of what I should say as to not offend him.

"Ha! I'm messing with you," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I have here a lovely sapphire necklace." He pulled out the necklace. It was a simple, but beautiful blue jewel, encrusted in silver, hanging from a thin silver chain. "I'll bet he would love to see you wearing this. Plus, it matches your outfit."

"Hm," I said, walking over and accepting the chain from him. "Maybe he would..."

"Then it's all yours," Julius kindly said. "Stop by the jewelry shop and visit sometime, yeah?"

"Yeah," I said, clasping the necklace. "Thanks, Jules!"

He seemed to accept the nickname I gave him without the problem of it being "girly."

**xXx**

**Jin POV:**

It was a typical Thursday morning in Harmonica Town. As usual, Jin was sitting at his desk, as he usually would in the mornings, but he wasn't working.

He rested his head on his right hand, and his left hand flicked a pencil to the other end of his desk. The pencil slowly rolled back, and Jin continued the cycle; flicking, pencil rolling away, pencil rolling back.

The doctor wasn't sure why, but he couldn't get Molly out of his head. He couldn't stop worrying about what had happened two days ago. Was she okay? What had made her so upset?

What bothered him even more was that this event wasn't the only thing that dominated his mind- more and more, he had begun to notice things about her that made his insides melt. Her huge, brown eyes. The way she laughed and smiled. That adorable wink of hers. The strand of hair in her bangs that always flipped up in a curl. She always said that she hated it, but to Jin, it was one of the many things that made her so amazing.

And, frankly, he hated to see her so upset.

_Shut up, Jin,_ he told himself._Why do you care so much? You don't know her as well as anyone else here_.

But, no matter what he said to himself, he couldn't stop fretting. He hadn't yet seen her this morning... what was the matter.

Finally, Jin could take it no longer. He stood up from his desk and walked out the door. He made his way down to the building directly below the clinic.

As he walked through the door of Sonata Tailoring, a tiny bell tied to the inside door handle jingled weakly.

"Ah, Jin!" Shelly waved from behind the counter. "Good to see you here, son!"

"Thanks, Shelly," Jin said with a nod and a smile. "Hey, do you know where either Luna or Candace is?"

As if on cue, the door on the other side of the wall opened, and out walked Candace, dressed, but rubbing her eyes as though she had just woken up.

"Candace?" Jin said when he saw the blue-haired girl.

She looked up at him and blushed a little. "Hi, Jin," she said shyly.

"Good morning," he said, walking towards her. "Hey, I have something to ask you... You're friends with Molly, aren't you?"

"Well, yes." Candace looked down at her hands.

"Then... do you know if anything's going on with her? Is she okay?" Jin asked somewhat hesitantly.

Candace looked back up at Jin. "Why do you ask?" she inquired.

Jin shifted, feeling a little uncomfortable with his question. "I don't know," he said, folding his arms. "She was just acting a little... funny, yesterday. Like she was upset about something. So I was just wondering..." he drifted off.

Candace nodded her head lightly. "Well, she has been having some problems with Chase..." she admitted, and Jin felt his heart jolt angrily in his chest. "But that's probably something we shouldn't spread around-"

Candace was interrupted by the sound of the door behind her, opening then slamming shut. Now, it was Luna's turn to make an appearance, yawning daintily with her eyes closed.

"Hey, sis," she said. Then, she opened her sleepy eyes, and saw Jin. "Oh! Hi Jin!" she immediately perked up. "What's going on?"

"Luna," Candace said under her breath. "Jin just asked about Molly... you know, that thing she told us..." Jin had no idea what they were talking about, but the two of them looked up at him suspiciously, and moved to the corner, their backs facing him as they quietly consulted.

Jin was just beginning to wonder whether he should leave when they finally turned around to face him. "Molly hit Chase with a hammer and now he's pissed at her," Luna blurted out.

"L-Luna!" Candace scolded her younger sister.

"Wait... excuse me? Did I hear you right?" Jin said before Luna could retaliate. Instead, the pinkette turned to face Jin.

"I'm serious! He's been mad about it for like, three or four days now!" Luna said.

"You mean to tell me that Molly hit her husband with a_hammer?_ How? Was it on purpose?"

"N-no," Candace quickly said. "She said he scared her... while she was holding her hammer."

Jin was speechless- what could he possibly say to that?

"Poor Molly is just a disaster waiting to happen..." Luna sighed. "And Chase isn't the most forgiving, even though she claims to have apologized several times."

Jin felt some kind of desperation to find Molly boil inside of him. "Where is she? Have you seen her today?" he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"No," Luna said. "I think she's probably still at her farm.

Without another word, Jin turned and promptly walked out the door.

"Where are you-" Luna's voice was cut off as the door shut behind him.

Jin started across the bridge, leading away from Harmonica Town. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to Molly, or why he so desperately wanted to find her. But he knew that he would keep worrying as long as he didn't know she was alright.

**xXx**

**Molly POV:**

After seeing Julius, I made my way back to the farmland. As I walked past my animals and to my house, I began to fasten the necklace around my neck.

My black-and-white spotted cow, Alex, was standing over by the house. As I approached, she began lazily making her way over to me, mooing as she stopped at my side.

"Wish me luck, old girl," I said, kissing her in between the eyes. Then, I opened the door and went inside.

"Chase," I said, scanning my eyes over the kitchen area and the bed. He wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Molly."

I turned around to see Chase standing in the corner by the door behind me. I could still see a large, purple bruise on his face. But the more he acted like an idiot, the more I thought he deserved it.

"Gah! Ugh, you scared me again!" I snapped. "Look. If you don't forgive me, then... then I want you to leave!" I boldly said, standing up straight. "This is my farmland, and I'm not going anywhere."

Chase shook his head and slowly made his way over to me. "No. I... I'm sorry for treating you so poorly," he said.

I took a step back as he got closer. "Oh, really?" I lowly said, narrowing my eyes. "You've been acting like a... a dummy." I mentally facepalmed, wishing I could have thought of a better insult.

Chase smirked. "I know," he admitted. He stepped towards me again. "I love you, Molly. And... the hammer thing isn't what upset me." After he spoke those words, he tore his gaze away from me, and looked down at the ground.

"Chase?" I began to worry. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Something has been bothering me," he said hesitantly. I waited patiently for him to say what it was, but his light purple eyes just darted around the room, as though he wasn't sure what he was going to say.

Finally, he looked back at me. "You know what? Just forget that last thing I said. I'm sorry." He smiled and took my hand. "You didn't even have to apologize in the first place, but I kept making you feel worse about the whole thing. Can we just forget about it?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "What were you going to say, Chase? What's been bothering you?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what I was saying," he said with a nervous laugh, casting his eyes to the floor. "I guess I was just nervous about what you were going to say..."

I had a nasty feeling that he was lying to me, but I nodded my head. "If you say so, then I believe you." I figured that he would tell me someday, but perhaps he wasn't ready right now.

He looked back up at me, then his eyes fell onto the sapphire necklace resting on my chest. "That looks beautiful on you," he told me, taking the jewel in his fingers and examining it. "This is sapphire of finest quality. This must have been-" then, he stopped himself, and I watched as a pink blush crept across his cheeks. "Um, not that I know anything about jewels, or anything." He scratched the back of his head, nervously.

"There's nothing wrong with that," I told him reassuringly.

"Aah, thanks. You know, I think I'm going to head to work early," he said, turning to the door again.

"But it's still morning," I protested.

"I know, but sometimes they want me there earlier," he said, opening the door. "I'll see you tonight." He gave me a quick peck on the forehead, then walked out the door. "Hey, man. How's it going?" Chase said as he shut the door behind him, but I hardly noticed him- all I could think about was this feeling that I had that things weren't yet resolved between us.

_What am I doing wrong? _Is_it something that I'm doing? I wish he would just tell me,_ I thought, leaning against the wall behind me._But, maybe I shouldn't push it- I'm sure he'll tell me when he's ready._

I tried to shake off my feelings of worry and stress- maybe a little mining would help me get my mind off things.

Suddenly, the door opened. "Molly." Chase opened the door a little and peered through the opening at me. "Jin is here to see you."

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**Yeah, not much happened... but review anyways! And I would like to know if it was less confusing switching between the two perspectives when I wrote whose POV it was. Thanks for reading :)**


	9. A Walk Through The Church Grounds

**Hello my dear readers :)**

**I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long to upload- First, my boyfriend didn't have work, so we got to have a date night! Then, it was my mom's birthday, so my sister and her husband came down for a couple nights. Therefore, I didn't have a whole lot of free time to write. I hope that this satisfies you all, and I promise to work on this next chapter ASAP!**

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**Molly's POV:**

Sure enough, when I walked outside, Jin was standing on my doorstep. Chase was already well on his way to Harmonica Town, and I felt awkward being alone with Jin after that whole weird thing that had happened.

"Jin," I said, feeling my cheeks flush. "Um... hi," I said, wondering what else to say.

"Hi, Molly," Jin said. His hands were resting in the pockets of his lab coat, and he cast his eyes to the ground, kicking at a pebble with his toe. He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt.

"Hey, look," I finally said. "I'm sorry about that... thing that happened the other day."

Jin's eyes flicked back up to look at me. "What? No, no, don't be sorry," he quickly said. "I just wanted to know if you're doing alright? I didn't see you yesterday, so I was starting to worry."

When he said this, I felt my heart flutter inside my chest. But before I could reply, I felt a heavy nudge at my side, making me stumble. "Moo." Alex wanted attention.

I giggled as I turned my attention back to my cow. "I love you too," I said, snuggling my face to hers.

"Hm," Jin said. "It seems like your animals really love you."

"Well, I love them too!" I said. Then I sighed and turned back to Jin. "You know, Chase and I were having a little trouble. But I think everything is okay now." _We'll see._

Jin shuffled awkwardly. "Well... would you want to talk about it at all?" he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I mean, only if it would help. If you don't want to, it's okay." He looked back down at his feet.

I paused for a moment, just looking at him. "Would you take a walk with me?" I finally asked.

**xXx**

"Honestly, it was just a rough patch," I said with a shrug. Jin and I meandered slowly through the church ground, autumn leaves crunching below our feet. There were trees and flowers all around, but the cold weather made them wither and die. "I mean, I'm sure you've experienced it, too. Things usually work out in the end."

Beside me, Jin visibly stiffened, but didn't say anything for a long time. "Actually," he said when he finally decided to speak up. "I've... I've..."

I turned to look at him. "What's wrong?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"Ugh... this is embarrassing," Jin scratched the back of his head, "but... I've never been in a relationship."

"What?!" I asked sharply. "Why not?!"

Jin's face flushed a rosy pink. "Well... everyone here is like family to me. Imagine dating one of your brothers," he said with a sideways glance at me.

"Ew! I would NEVER date Kevin! Not even if we weren't related!" I exclaimed, disgusted at the thought.

Jin let out a laugh. "And, in the city, I was too focused on my studies. I had no time for dating," he said, his frown returning to his face.

"Oh, Jin," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Honestly. Anyone would be lucky to date you."

I could see that what I had said had rendered him speechless. His mouth gaped open, waiting for words to escape, but none did.

_Maybe I said too much_, I wondered a moment too late. "I'm sorry, Jin. I'm just saying that you're a great guy, and I think it's just a waste for you to not have a girlfriend. Not that you're a waste! I mean... ugh." I facepalmed. "I'm just going to shut up now."

"No, no! You didn't say anything wrong," Jin finally piped up. "It's just... I don't know that just _anyone_ would be happy to date me." He looked forlorn when he said this.

"Well... do you _like_ anyone enough to ask them out?" I asked, curious by the way he was acting.

He was silent for a long time. I didn't take my eyes off his face as he fidgeted uncomfortably, occasionally opening his mouth as if to say something, then deciding not to.

"I don't know," he finally said. "I think I do. But they'll never feel the same."

"Jin, you can't say that-"

"No," he said firmly. "I'm serious. It's impossible."

"How can it be impossible?" I asked, smirking. "I mean, anything is possible."

"Just...!" Jin held up his hand, his brows furrowed and eyes closed. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Why was he acting so uncomfortable about the whole situation? Sure, I knew that having a crush could be hard, but this seemed to bother him more than just your typical crush.

"Okay," I said. "We don't have to talk about it anymore. But, Jin?" He looked back at me, an unreadable look in his eyes. "Never give up," I told him. "Ever. You'll never get anywhere if you don't keep trying." I smiled to myself. "Chase was a tough one to get, but I just kept trying to get to know him. Then, before I knew it, I just knew that it was time to find a blue feather to propose with. That would have never happened if I just... gave up."

Jin didn't respond. He just cast his eyes to the leaves below him and kept walking. "I believe that you were followed," he suddenly said, as a smile crept onto his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. But sure enough, as if on cue, I heard a whinnie from behind me. When I turned to look, Maddie and Alex were both behind us, standing several yards away, and looking straight at me.

"Oh my goodness. You guys are creepy," I said as I started towards them. As I continued towards my livestock, I turned my head back towards the doctor. "I better get these guys home," I said. "Thanks for the walk. It really helped to talk."

Jin looked at me with a small smile. "Anything for you, Molly," he said, almost too quietly for me to hear.

Without thinking much of it, I pulled Maddie's reins out of my rucksack and attached them to her. Then, I hopped onto Alex's back, grabbed onto Maddie's reins, and rode away from Jin with my two animals in tow.

**xXx**

**Jin's POV:**

Jin watched Molly ride back across the garden, riding her cow, and leading her horse behind them. She didn't turn around to look back at him, but he was okay with that, as he couldn't tear his eyes away from her back.

When she was out of sight, Jin turned back around and kept walking, kicking the autumn leaves below his feet. His gaze never left the red, yellow, and brown-covered ground below him.

Jin had had a crush on Anissa when he was younger, so he knew how it felt to have a crush. He was starting to have similar feelings for the new rancher. Every day, he looked forward to her visits, and every single thing she did made his heart pound so hard, that he worried she would hear. He loved the feeling of having her close by his side, and it always made him a little sad when she left him, just like she had now.

The feelings were similar, but he knew that they weren't the same as having just a little crush- these feelings were so much bigger. It was strange, as he hadn't known her for long. But he could be himself when he was with her. And he couldn't fully be himself around most other people he hadn't known for long. If it were just a crush, he would always try to act perfect. However, he knew he didn't have to with Molly. She accepted him the way he was.

_She's married. I have to stop this_, Jin frantically thought as he walked slowly through the church grounds on his own, hands in his pockets and eyes downcast. _I'm just imagining it. This won't last._

But, no matter how much he tried to convince himself, he knew these strange new feelings were true. And he knew that he wouldn't get over them as easily as he hoped.

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**Ohh, yeah ;) Review please! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Asking A Girl Out

**Hey! I don't have a whole lot to say, but I hope you find this chapter... interesting, at least ;) Enjoy!**

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**Jin's POV:**

"Jin? Jin!"

The doctor had been stretched out on the couch in the front room of the clinic. It was still closed, so he wasn't worried about anyone seeing him like this, lost in his thoughts as he stared up at the ceiling. But his grandmother's voice caused him to snap out of the trance he was in, and he quickly sat up.

"Sorry, what, grandmother?" He pushed his glasses up towards his eyes.

"Have you been listening to a _word_ I've been saying?" Irene said sharply. "And how lazy are you? You had a whole night to sleep!"

"Grandmother, please. I didn't sleep well last night," he complained, rubbing his eyes. "You don't have to treat me like I'm twelve."

"Oh, pish-posh. I don't treat you like you're twelve."

"Oh, really? Then tell me about my parents." Jin folded his hands and rested his chin on them, staring intently at his grandmother.

"I told you, a stork dropped you off at my house! How many times must I tell you that?" the woman asked in exasperation.

"Mmm, okay." Jin had accepted the fact that he would never get a real answer from her long ago, but he still liked to ask occasionally, just to see if she would give in and tell the truth.

"What I was saying while you were off in la-la-land," Irene said in a lecturing tone, "is that I'm going to be out for the day. I'm putting you in charge for the day."

"Yes, ma'am," Jin said respectively.

"See you tonight, m'dear." Irene turned and walked out the door, leaving Jin alone.

When he was sure his no-nonsense grandmother was gone, Jin slumped back into the couch cushions.

_What am I going to do?_ he wondered tiredly. He could hardly sleep a wink last night- he had gotten home late from his wanderings, as he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts of Molly. When he had finally crawled into bed, he was utterly exhausted from walking so much. However, he still couldn't sleep- just the fact that Molly existed kept him awake.

It was best that he didn't see her anymore. She was married, and she seemed to very much love Chase. But the real question was this: _could_ he stop seeing her?

Was it really a big deal if they kept being friends? If his feelings were one-sided, then nothing would happen. It kind of sucked, but at least he could still be around Molly.

And what was it that she had said to him? To "never give up"?

When he thought this, Jin facepalmed. This was someone's _wife,_ and he was thinking about stealing her?

"Ugh," he said in a monotone voice. "I'm such a douche."

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

"Oh em gee, it's Molz!" Julius exclaimed as he walked into Sonata Tailoring and saw me.

"Hi Jules!" Luna gave me a weird look, and Candace just sat there and blushed as they watched me stand from the table to greet Julius. Once I was right in front of him, the effeminate man grabbed me and embraced me in a hug.

"So? What did your man think of the sapphire necklace?" he asked as he pulled away, hands still grasping my shoulders.

_She kinda has big hands_, I thought, feeling the strong grip he had on me. "He liked it," I said. I didn't tell Julius that Chase still seemed kind of distant, even though we had made amends about the whole "hammer incident."

"I knew he would," Julius said, winking a ruby eye at me. He then took his hands off my shoulders and looked past me to Luna and Candace. "Hey, ladies! How's it hangin'?"

Luna raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Tch, not in your wildest dreams," she said.

"That was more directed at bluey over there." Now, he winked at Candace, who just blushed and looked down at her hands.

"Well, I wasn't expecting everyone to be here, so I'll come back later, bluey. Tootles, Molz!" Julius waved his hand and strutted back outside.

"What in the...?" I looked back at Luna and Candace. "What was that all about?" I asked, walking back over and sitting back down.

"Julius is such a weirdo," Luna said. "He always comes in here and-"

"Wha-_what?!_" I cried out. "Did you just say 'he'?"

"WHAT?!" Luna yelled, a smile creeping onto her face. "You mean to tell me that all this time, you thought Julius was a _girl?!_"

"Well, yeah!" I said defensively.

Luna burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh my Goddess! Candace, can you believe it? I guess I'm not really surprised, though!"

Candace just sat there, stony and silent. I hardly noticed, but her eyebrow was twitching with bottled rage.

"I mean, I kind of wondered if she... um, he? ... If _Julius_ was a lesbian," I confessed, causing Luna to laugh harder, and Candace to hang her head lower. "But now I'm wondering if he's gay... do you know if he is?" I asked innocently.

Just then, Candace stood up from her chair. Her usually sullen face was contorted into anger, and she promptly turned and stormed off through the back door.

"Candace!" Luna yelled. "What is wrong with you?!"

Suddenly, I was struck with an intense realization.

When I had been talking to Jin the previous night, he had confessed to liking someone. He never actually SAID it was a girl. Plus, he was really reluctant to talk about it. He said this person would NEVER feel the same way towards him.

Also... what was with the hair ribbon he always had tied in a bow to hold his hair back?

"Good Goddess." Without uttering another word, I stood up and hastily made my way to the door.

"Hey, now I have no one to talk to!" Luna pouted. But I hardly heard her- I shut the door and made my way up the ramp to the Choral Clinic.

"Jin!" I opened the door and barged in, unexpectedly seeing Jin, sprawled across the couch.

When he heard my voice, he jumped up, brushing himself off and fixing his glasses. "Oh, I'm sorry you had to see me like that!" He laughed and scratched the back of his head.

I ignored his apology. "Jin, what do you think of Julius?" I breathlessly asked.

"Julius?" Jin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Um... I don't know. I've known him forever. He's a nice guy, but I don't see him a whole lot. Why do you ask?"

I shuffled my feet. "Well... do you think he's _attractive?_ Would you ever... you know, ask him out?" I felt so weird asking him this, but I had to know if my suspicions were correct.

"What are you..." Jin started, before the realization of what I was asking sunk in. "Good Goddess," he said quietly, shoving his glasses up his nose. "Molly, do you think I'm _gay?_"

_Shoot. I was wrong. All I did was humiliate myself and look like a jerk. He probably hates me now._

As I mentally scolded myself, at a loss of what to say, Jin spoke up again. "Why on _earth_ would you think that? It's because of my hair bow, isn't it? Honestly, Molly, how can you judge someone just because they tie their hair with a ribbon?"

"Stop, stop," I finally said. "It's not your bow. At least, that's not the only reason why-"

"So, I seem like I'm gay for more than just one reason?" Jin was starting to sound more and more insulted.

"No, Jin! You don't _seem_ gay! I would have never thought so if it weren't from our talk last night."

The doctor continued to stare at me expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

So, with a sigh, I gave it to him. "Last night, when you were talking about this person you liked, you never actually said if it was a girl. Then you were really uncomfortable talking about it. _Then_ you said they wouldn't ever feel the same, no matter what. So it gave me reason to believe that you just MIGHT play for the other team... or whatever."

When I had finished talking, Jin shook his head. "Molly, I was talking about a woman," he confirmed. "And don't ever ask me if I'm gay again."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. I mean, if you were gay, it'd be just fine! I'd still like you just the way you are. I would just worry that-"

"Can we just... NOT talk about this. Ever again." It wasn't a request, but a command. I instantly shut my mouth.

"Okay," I said after dropping the subject. "But Jin, stop running from your problems! You have to ask this girl out."

Now, Jin's hard face melted into a smile. He looked down. "I don't think so," he just said.

"Have you ever even tried asking a girl out?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

Jin stiffened. "Well... I..." seemed to be all he could say.

"Maybe you need some practice." I grabbed his wrist and led him into the other room, over to the patient table.

"What-what are you doing?" Jin asked, and I could hear a slight panicky tone in his voice.

"Practicing," I said, hopping onto the table. "You're comfortable with me, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, but..." he was turning redder and redder. "I don't know if I want to do this."

I smiled. "You're adorable," I said, causing his face to burn hotter. "But sometimes you have to be bold to get what you want. Okay, now just practice on me." I cleared my throat, then exaggeratedly batted my eyelashes at Jin. "Oh, Jin, you're soo dreamy!" I said, several octaves higher than my normal voice.

At this, Jin cracked a smile and giggled. I laughed lightly with him, and watched him lean against the table, his eyes on the floor. He was silent for what seemed like a long time. Then, he looked up at me, his face serious, but soft. His cheeks weren't bright red like they were before, but now had faded to pink. And for some reason, I thought he was more handsome in this moment than I had ever noticed.

Now, my own face was starting to feel warm.

Jin didn't say anything about it. "Maybe we should get a drink tonight," he said, simply and silently.

His voice snapped me out of my strange trance. "Yes! Perfect, Jin!" I quickly said. "See, that was casual and friendly, but still letting her know that-"

"No, Molly," Jin interrupted. "I was talking about... maybe you and I should get a drink tonight."

When he said this, I wasn't sure what to say back. What did he mean by that?

As if he read my mind, Jin quickly added, "Not like, a date. I just think it would be nice to do things outside the clinic too. I mean, I'm always here, and I get kind of tired of being in the same place all the time and-"

"Jin, shush." Jin immediately stopped talking. "That sounds like a great idea."

His eyes widened behind his glasses. "Really?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "Yes, definitely," I said. "Only... can we get the drinks to go?" I asked, remembering Chase. I didn't want to say that we were still having trouble, or that I didn't feel right about being in the same room as him with Jin, so I made up an excuse. "I think it'll be a very nice night."

Jin smiled. "Yeah, okay," he said. "That would be great."

"Perfect!" I said, hopping back off the table. "I have to go get some work done, but I'll see you tonight!"

Once I was out the door, I started to wonder if this was really a good thing to do. But I pushed my feelings that told me it wasn't aside. It was just going to be a normal night, and everything would go just fine.

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**Ooh-la-la! Haha, thank you for reading , reviewing, and just sticking with the story :) I appreciate you all :) Review please!**


	11. Cocktails And Snow

**Good afternoon! Sorry this took a while to upload... I feel like I'm always apologizing for that, haha. I'm just trying to spend a little less time on the internet. And I know it's a short chapter, but I felt like that's where it should have ended. So, I'll update ASAP!**

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**Jin POV:**

Molly was sitting on the bench by the lighthouse, her back facing Jin. In the dark, he could just see her sillouhette as he carefully made his way across the wooden bridge, carrying two cocktails.

When he arrived at her side, Jin handed her a cocktail. "One cherry cocktail for you, miss," he said formally.

She smiled and accepted the cocktail. "Thank you, kind sir," she said in the same tone, bowing her head.

Jin smiled and took his seat next to Molly. All that could be heard was the sound of the light, cool breeze, and the waves lapping up against the side of the small island. He wished this moment could last forever.

Suddenly, Molly broke the silence. "Things still aren't going very well with Chase."

Jin looked at Molly, who just kept her eyes straight ahead. "I know that something is bothering him," she continued. "But he just won't tell me what it is. And I don't know how to help him."

The doctor said nothing.

When he didn't respond, Molly shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "This is something I should keep to myself. It's just so... _frustrating_."

Jin still didn't say a word. He kept his eyes on Molly, but he didn't tell her that he felt like going and slapping some sense into her husband.

But then again... maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

Because just then, Molly slid closer to Jin and looked up at him. "Honestly, just having you around makes things better."

When she said this, Jin felt his heart stop. "Really?" he said.

The farmer nodded in response. "Thank you for everything, Jin," she said quietly, over the sound of waves and wind. Then she slowly rested her head on his shoulder.

Now, Jin's heart was racing uncontrollably in his chest. At first, he was paralyzed with the unexpected shock of it. But it didn't take long for him to relax and feel weightless- everything about this felt _right_.

Suddenly, he felt Molly shudder and sit up. "Is it just me, or did it suddenly get cold?"

Jin hadn't noticed anything, but he didn't get cold easily. Before he could say so, he spotted something. "Look! A snowflake!"

"Where?" Molly quickly asked. "Wait... they're all over!"

Sure enough, snowflakes were gently falling from the sky, catching themselves on Molly's hair and eyelashes. She was still shivering, but she looked up at the dark, cloudy sky in wonder. "Today was the last day of fall, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jin said. He had completely forgotten about that. Molly was wearing long sleeves and pants, but she definitely wasn't dressed for winter.

"I should have known... Dang it! Now I have to go and buy new crops tomorrow morning. I should have done that today!"

Quickly, Jin shrugged out of his lab coat. "Ugh, I'm sorry, this is all I've got... but maybe it'll help a little." He wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Oh! Goodness, you didn't have to do that," she said in surprise.

"I know," Jin said with a gentle smile. "I wanted to."

Molly just looked at him for a while, sending butterflies fluttering rapidly around inside of him.

"Um," he quickly said. "Can I walk you home?"

"Oh! It is getting late, isn't it? Chase must be back by now."

At the mention of Chase's name, Jin held back a frustrated groan. Things were just going so well!

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

"Thanks again, Jin. "I bowed to said doctor and shrugged out of his lab coat, which practically drowned me. "Don't forget this!"

"Ah, thanks," Jin accepted the coat and slipped back into it. "Have a good night!"

"You too! Don't get eaten by bears on the way home," I teased, putting my hand on the doorknob.

"Tch, I can take 'em," Jin retorted.

When we had said our goodbyes and Jin left, I went inside and shut the door.

I couldn't help but think when I saw Chase, asleep in bed, that he would be really pissed if he found out about this. But honestly, right then, I didn't mind- Jin was there for me more than anyone else. He was the most sensitive and caring person I knew, and I just felt like I had to be around him. It took lots of stress off of me, and when I was with him, I felt like he somehow could make me forget about things.

However, when I slipped into bed beside my husband, he turned to face me in his sleep.

With a tired moan, Chase wrapped his arm around my stomach and pulled me close to him like a teddy bear, my head resting against his lips.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt a real smile on my face in Chase's presence. Even if he was asleep, it had been too long since he had shown me any affection.

And with that, I forgot all my worries and fell instantly asleep in his arms.

* * *

**Okay, sorry about that... Thanks to my dear followers who keep up and review regularly :) You're all the best! Keep up the good work, because it helps me as the writer ;) I hope you enjoyed this little chapter, and I will see you next time!**


	12. Fighting

**Wow! It's been a while! I could have uploaded a lot sooner, but I got really addicted to this manga/anime and I can't stop reading/watching it... So, I apologize for not having my priorities straight.**

**Reply to QueenSpade: Honestly, I have to say that I like Molly better. BUT! That is because I have never played with Angela, and I have never played Tree of Tranquility. I would really like to, though :)**

**Okay! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Molly's POV:**

"What am I gonna do? I HATE winter!" Chase cried, staring out the window by our bed.

"Aw, don't worry," I tried to reassure him. "It'll be over in thirty days-"

"That's such a long time... uuuuuggggghhhh." He facepalmed. "How did I not know that winter was supposed to start?"

"But the snow is so beautiful!" I joined him at the window, staring happily at the snowflakes. "It's so white and sparkly!"

"But... there are hardly any crops you can grow in the winter. Am I right?" Chase was clearly put off by my optimism.

When he said this, silence fell between us.

"Thanks a lot, Chase," I finally said with a frown. "I was so happy just five seconds ago."

"Sorry, sorry," Chase sighed. "Well, I guess it's time for me to start wearing my sad black clothes," he said glumly.

"You've been wearing said clothes since fall. In fact, you're wearing them right now. Why don't you get more outfits? It's really weird to wear the same thing every day, ya know."

A vein popped in his head. "Excuse me, I'm not the only one who does it! Everyone else around here does it too! Everyone except you, that is." He "harumphed" and folded his arms.

I shook my head. "At least I'm hygenic!"

"MOLLY!"

Giggling at my victory, I ran outside and slammed the door.

**xXx**

**Jin's POV:**

_"Jin..."_

_The doctor turned around at the sound of his name, and his breath was taken away._

_Molly stood in the doorway, wearing a short, frilly pink dress and a wicked smile. "You're lookin' fine today, aren't you?" She took a step inside the clinic. "But... when _don't _you look fine?"_

_Jin gulped. "What can I get for you today?" he asked, disregarding her comment._

_"I need some medicine," Molly said suggestively._

_Cluelessly, Jin went behind the counter and rummaged around. "What kind of medicine? We've got cold medicine-"_

_"No." Suddenly, Molly was right beside him, speaking into his ear. "Not _that_ kind of medicine. _This_ kind of medicine."_

_Now, Molly had his face in her delicate hands, forcing him to stare at her smug, but beautiful face. Her smile widened as she leaned towards him, lips puckering..._

_... and-_

"GRANDSON!" Irene's voice broke through the door.

Jin sat up in bed, startled by his grandma's scolding voice.

"Are you really still asleep, Jin?" Irene opened the door and peeked her head through. Without his glasses, everything looked like colorful paint, running messily together on a canvas.

And in the split second that he was awake, Jin remembered the dream he had just had.

_Aw, man... this is so embarrassing..._

"It's time to get up and go! You can't just lay around all day!" Irene stated, oblivious to Jin's thoughts. Then, she shut the door, leaving him alone.

Jin ran a hand over his tired face, feeling ashamed at his dream. Not that he could control it, but _still!_ How awkward!

_This is getting too serious_, Jin thought sadly. He knew there was only one thing he had to do.

He had to stop seeing Molly.

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

"Finn! I almost have ten wishes! It's a miracle!"

The shrine inside the church was getting brighter and more vibrant with each wish.

"Well..." Finn cocked his head at the shrine. "You're almost halfway there, at least."

"Yeah, almost!" I corrected. "Just six more, and I'm good!"

The two of us turned to leave the church. "Hey, Molly," Finn asked me as we trekked down the path to Harmonica Town. "You're getting to be pretty good friends with Jin, right? Why haven't you asked him what his wish is?"

I stopped in my tracks. "Of course! I'll go ask him and then come back. Man, I can't believe I forgot about him!"

"Tch. Me neither," Finn muttered in a sarcastic tone.

"What?" I glared at the sprite.

"N-nothing!" Finn said, now clearly panicking. "It's just... you're getting REALLY friendly with him. Like... REALLY REALLY friendly."

"Oh, shut up," I said. "Best friends are really friendly together," I stated.

"That's... that's not what I meant," Finn said with a facepalm.

I ignored his gesture, as we were now right in front of the clinic.

"Jin?" I called upon entering. Today, Jin was behind the counter instead of Irene, his back facing me as he organized the shelves. He didn't look up at me when I entered.

_Maybe he didn't hear me._ "Jin? Hey, it's me!"

Now, he turned around to look at me with a poker face. "What can I get for you today?" he simply asked.

I gave him a puzzled look. "Hey, are you feeling alright? I just came to say hi. Also, I have a question."

Jin shook his head. "I don't have time for pointless questions or conversations," he said. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"What's your problem?" I finally snapped, feeling hurt by the way he was talking to me. "Why are you acting like this?"

Jin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking directly at me, but saying nothing.

"Seriously," I urged. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"Do something wrong?" Jin said again. "Yeah. You existed."

"Oh, snap!" Finn exclaimed beside me before I had a chance to react.

"SHUT UP, FINN!" I yelled at the fairy. Then I turned to Jin. "And YOU can go back to Storkland, or wherever the heck you came from! And... and I'll bet the Goddess hates you!"

After having said such pathetic words, I turned and stormed back out into the crisp, winter air.

"You're not very good at arguing, are you?" Finn commented as I stormed back towards the church, fuming.

"Shut your pie hole!" I yelled. "What in the world is the matter with him? One day, he's being perfectly nice, and the next day he's being a dummy!"

"Molly, are you dense?!" Finn suddenly yelled back.

"WHAT?! You too, huh?" I glowered at Finn and continued stamping my way through the snowy church grounds.

"Molly, he's not acting like that on purpose," Finn said, beating his little wings to catch up to me.

"Oh, whatever, Finn! You don't know anything! You're just a fairy!" 

"No, I'm a SPRITE! And Jin doesn't hate you- the reason he's pushing you away is perfectly clear!"

"No, it's not! He is never that mean," I fought back.

"So, you are dense," Finn confirmed more quietly. Before I could retort, Finn spoke again. "Molly, Jin is in love with you!"

As if I had hit a brick wall, I abruptly stopped walking and turned to look at Finn. "What?" I said.

"He doesn't want to ruin your relationship with Chase, so he's acting like a jerk so you won't want to be friends with him anymore," Finn said. "Couldn't you see it? His eyes were sad back there."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked silently.

Suddenly, Finn stopped. "Um... I don't know... I probably shouldn't have told you... But! You need to stay away from him."

I stood up straighter. "Look, Finn. You're talking nonsense."

Yeah, I know. Finn was right- I was dense.

"You annoy the crap out of me. You're like a parasite."

"Molly!" Finn cried. "That was cold!"

"You're like that fairy in the Legend of Zelda games that follows Link around and makes him do things and WON'T shut up! Honestly, I really feel like sometimes I'm in some weird video game."

(Oh, Molly. If only you knew...)

"So," I continued. "You are dismissed." 

"What?!" Finn yelled. "But the Goddess sent me to be your companion!"

"I don't care what the Goddess says! Leave me alone!"

"Molly! You're mean today!" And with that, Finn flitted away as fast as his little wings could carry him, sobbing all the way.

When his sobs faded, I sighed with exhaustion.

Now _who's the jerk?_ I thought, feeling tired, ashamed, and devastated.

There was no possible way that Jin could love me... was there?

* * *

**Oh, Molly... You are so dense.**

**Also, I really like to reference the Legend of Zelda in my fanfics... this is the second time I've done it, and both times, it was completely unplanned!**

**I will really try to focus more :) Thank you for being patient everyone! Please review :)**


	13. Burial

**Hi guys! Yes, I will admit that last chapter was VERY rushed, and not a whole lot of thought was put into it. So I took some more time to work on this one, and I really hope y'all like it better :) thanks for everything! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Molly's POV:**

The next week felt almost empty.

Finn was gone. Even though he didn't say much, it was weird that he wasn't near me every second.

But what bothered me more was what he had said about Jin. And the fact that we were no longer on speaking terms.

The most awkward thing was when I had to go inside the clinic to stock back up on bodigizers, when I saw Jin in his normal spot behind his desk. Despite myself, I glanced over at him just as he looked up at me. We held eye contact for several long seconds before I finally turned away and greeted Irene. If he was sorry, he would tell me.

But what Finn said couldn't be true- Jin was just my friend, which meant that I could say and do just about anything around him without feeling like an idiot. And since I could be so dorky around him, there was no possible way that he could have any feelings for me. The thought was just ridiculous!

Then again, maybe _I_ was the one being ridiculous.

The one good thing about the week was the time that I had to spend with Chase instead. He was starting to act more like himself, and every night we took walks through the town before going to bed. Things were definitely starting to look up...

... until Friday morning.

"Molly, wake up!" Chase shook me awake. "Something's happened."

I opened my sleepy eyes and blinked up at my husband. He was already dressed, and he looked desperately down at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Chase was silent for a moment. "It's Alex," he finally said, as though he had to force the words.

Now, I was instantly alert and awake. Jumping out of bed, I grabbed Chase's shoulders. "What? Is she okay?" I frantically asked.

Chase looked down and shook his head. "I... I don't think so, Molly." He looked up at me with his sad, purple eyes. "She's barely alive."

Without another word, I bolted through the door out into the dark morning and rushed inside the barn.

My sheep, Nina, and my horse, Maddie, were standing over Alex's body, laying on the ground. When they heard me, the two animals laid their large eyes on me. Nina bleated and pranced over to me.

Giving her a quick pat on the head, I made my way quickly to my cow's cold body and knelt down, holding her large head in my lap. Her eyes were barely open, and her breathing pattern was weak and shaky.

"Alex, get up," I pleaded silently, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. "Please. You're gonna be okay."

My friend's lazy eyes looked up at me one last time before her eyelids dropped shut. Then, with one last breath, she went completely still.

"No," I whispered through the knot in my throat. Tears were falling from my eyes, wetting what was once my best friend. "No, no, no." That's all I kept saying as I shuddered from cold and devastation.

Suddenly, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder, but I ignored it. "I'll go get Cain," Chase murmured as he wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Molly."

**xXx**

**Jin's POV:**

"Ah, Vivaldi's Four Seasons." Perry sipped daintily at his tea. "I've always loved this piece."

"Me too," Anissa agreed. "It so calming, yet joyful at the same time. What do you think, Jin?"

Unfortunately, Jin wasn't listening. His eyes were cast down, looking at his shoes as he occasionally gulped at his tea.

"Hello? Earth to Jin," Anissa snapped her fingers at the doctor, who jolted, quickly sitting straight up in his seat. "My apologies," he quickly said with a bow of his head.

"Um... are you okay?" Candace hesitantly asked. "You seem a bit distracted this morning."

"No, no. I'm just tired." Of course, that wasn't why he was distracted.

Even though it was for the best, guilt of being so rude to Molly had been eating away at him for days. He wanted nothing more than to apologize and make up. He would have given anything to have things back to the way they were. But, because he cared so much about her, he had to make sure that she never wanted to talk to him again. There was no telling what would happen if she continued hanging around him all the time.

So, even though it was torture, he had to at least try to move on.

"Jin! Seriously, we're talking to you!" Anissa was getting worked up, leaning across the table and clapping in his face. Now, Jin almost jumped out of his seat from the scare.

"Anissa, please!" Perry said, lightly touching her shoulder. "Remember: Polite is Right. That's our theme."

"Hm, you're right." Anissa quickly took her seat. "Sorry, Jin."

Before Jin could forgive her, the door to Anissa's home quickly flew open. In walked Craig with Cain in tow...

And Chase was with them as well.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Anissa asked in exasperation.

Craig said nothing. He just continued through the door on the opposite wall.

"Oh, it's the Tea Club!" Cain said in his usual jovial manner. "Sorry, it's not your dad's fault- I just lost my shovel and had to borrow his.

"Shovel? Why do you need a shovel?" Jin curiously asked. He noticed that through his cheerfulness, Cain looked a bit troubled. Beside him, Chase was frowning.

"Molly's cow died this morning," Chase said remorsefully. "We're just getting ready to bury her."

Jin felt a stab of worry. "Is Molly okay?" he asked, trying not to sound as overly concerned as he felt.

Chase sighed. "Not right now. She was completely devastated, and she's probably still in the barn with the body."

"I remember giving her that cow when it was just a calf," Cain said. "She really loved her, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Chase said. "I thought it was supposed to live longer... wasn't it?"

Cain frowned. "She could have had an unchecked disease or something," he mused.

Just then, Craig came back with a shovel in his hands. "Here," he said in his boring voice, handing over the shovel.

"Thanks, buddy," Cain said, accepting the shovel. "Sorry, Tea Club." With that, all three men walked back outside.

"Poor Molly." Candace hung her head. "I hope she's okay."

"Well, old Alex is in a better place," Perry replied.

Jin said nothing. The thought of Molly alone in her barn next to her lifeless cow was something he hated to think about. In fact, it was even worse than him not speaking to her.

Maybe being selfish at a time like now was the right thing to do.

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

It took a while for Cain to dig Alex's grave. As the day went on, Chase and I stayed outside with him, Chase using his own shovel to help. When he had to leave for work, I offered to keep helping Cain in place of Chase, but he refused.

"You just rest, Molly. You deserve it," he said.

Finally, in the evening, Alex's body was buried in the ground, her soul gone forever from the world.

"There we go," Cain said as he shoved a tombstone into the ground at the head of the grave. "Now she can rest in peace."

Then, I felt my eyes tearing up once again. Cain also took notice.

"I'm sorry, Molly," he said softly, putting his large hand on my shoulder. "She must have been sick with something. This was completely unexpected." When I said nothing, he patted my shoulder one last time. "You took great care of her. She was lucky to be yours." And with that, Cain left me there alone, next to my friend's grave.

The sky was darkening quickly now, but I didn't care. I knelt in front of the tombstone on the freshly dug earth where Alex lay below. How could this happen so suddenly? What had been the matter with her? Had I done something wrong? I sobbed as questions flooded my mind on what I could have possibly done to prevent this from happening.

And then, the sound of snow crunching below feet joined the sound of my shuddering breaths.

**xXx**

**Jin's POV:**

Molly looked like a complete wreck- she was on the ground, hanging her head and shaking.

Jin wondered if she wanted to be alone, and almost hesitated. But he couldn't let her be alone in this state. Not when she needed comfort most.

So, he entered the cemetery, stomping his way through the hardened snow.

When she heard him, Molly turned her head to stare up at Jin with glassy eyes. Quickly, she wiped her cheeks with the palm of her hand. "Go away," she choked.

Now, Jin felt another heavy stab of guilt at her words. "Molly," he whispered, mostly to himself. "I'm sorry, Molly."

She wasn't looking at him anymore, but now she was still, staring at the tombstone in front of her. "If you came to rub it in, then you can leave," she said in a strained voice.

"That's not why I'm here," Jin informed her. Although he knew it would be wise for him to leave her behind, he still couldn't make himself go. As though a magnetic force were pulling him, he made his way over to Molly and knelt down beside her on the dirt ground.

Molly didn't look at him when she spoke. "She wasn't supposed to die so soon," she said, shaking her head. "I have no idea what happened."

Jin joined her in looking at the tombstone in silence. Both were quiet for a moment before Molly spoke again.

"Why were you such a jerk to me the other day?" she demanded. "Did I do something to make you mad?"

The doctor gulped. He had been expecting this question any second now, but he still wasn't sure how exactly to answer without giving everything away.

"I think I have a right to know," Molly piped up.

Jin looked back at her. Even with puffy red eyes, she looked as beautiful as ever, and a familiar crimson blush washed over his face. He was grateful for the darkness that hid the color of his cheeks.

"I... I hate seeing you this way," he muttered.

"That has nothing to do with my question," Molly said.

"Actually, it does," Jin started. "I mean, whenever I was with you, it seemed that all that was on your mind was what was going on with Chase. Even when you weren't talking about it, I could just tell it was on your mind. I wanted to help you," he said, searching for correct words. "But I couldn't. I felt like I was nothing but some kind of temporary distraction to you."

Sure, it was half true. But he would let her believe that it was the full truth.

"Is that it?" Molly asked. "Jin, listen here. You weren't JUST a distraction. You're my closest friend. Yes, being with you was a distraction from my problems, but that's not all. I genuinely like being with you."

"R-really?" Jin stuttered.

"Yeah," Molly said with a tiny smile. "And you helped me just by being there, but the only ones that could fix anything were me and Chase. Things have been going pretty well this last week, too."

Although Jin knew he should be happy for her, he felt his heart sinking in his chest. "I just... I just thought you may have been able to do better," Jin admitted, feeling uncomfortable at where the conversation was going.

Molly shrugged. "Well, sometimes I wonder," she said silently. "I mean, Chase is the only man I have ever been with." She looked up into the starry sky. "Sometimes I just wonder if things would have turned out this way if I would have dated more. But there's no turning back now, is there? Besides, I'm sure everything will be just fine in no time." She looked and sounded like her optimistic self when she said this. Quickly, she turned to look at Jin. "Don't you tell a soul that I said that. Got it?"

Jin shook his head. "Never," he said.

Molly smiled at him. "Thanks, Jin," she said.

Before Jin could think about what he was saying, he said, "I think I'm going to move back to the city."

_Why not?_ Jin thought once the unexpected words escaped. _I mean, at least I can forget about this whole thing._

Molly blinked. "Wait, what? Why?!"

The doctor sighed. "I... I don't know how to say this... but..."

Then, as if he were being controlled by some force, Jin brushed his fingers across Molly's cheek. Suddenly, he was holding her face in both his hands...

... and then he planted his lips firmly onto hers.

* * *

**No, I was not expecting that ending myself O.O Haha, but I hope it was a good one! Thank you for reading :) Please review!**


	14. Unknown Feelings

**Good morning! Before I post this next chapter, I just want to sincerely thank all my followers/readers/reviewers/etc. for your continued support and interest in this little story I've got going here :) It really does mean a lot, and I love to write for y'all!**

**Also, as a side note- before you read this chapter, I just want to let you know that I'm having the witch call herself Vivi, simply because I don't just want to call her "The Witch" the whole time. Yes, I know that they only tell you their names if you marry them, but it's just less of a pain to call her by her actual name.**

**Okay! Now you can read :)**

* * *

**Molly's POV:**

It had been a while since I'd been in the forest. But I had to go somewhere private to clear my head.

Sitting on a stump, twirling my axe in my hands, my mind replayed the events of the previous day over and over again- from Alex's death, to _that_.

Unexpectedly, Jin had taken my face in his hands and pressed his lips, almost desperately, against mine. I was so shocked that my eyes never closed.

But I didn't pull away, either.

It probably only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like several minutes passed when Jin finally pulled away from me, his fingers sliding gently from my face. Neither of us said anything. I just stared at him in shock, while he looked back at me, a gentle, caring look in his eyes.

Suddenly, as if he snapped out of a trance, Jin hastily pushed his glasses up his nose and shifted his eyes away. "Forgive me," he said curtly. Then, he stood and quickly made his way back up the steps to the church grounds above, leaving me in my state of surprise.

And still, I wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing. Which is what scared me the most.

_Why didn't I smack him? Or tell him off? Or tell Chase what happened?_ Truthfully, I was nervous to tell Chase- things had been going so well, and I didn't want to ruin it with news this big. I knew that he would blow a gasket. And probably blame me.

Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the trees to my left. Thinking it must be some wild animals, I didn't bother looking. Until I heard a voice.

"It's that farm girl!" said a female's voice. Quickly, I snapped my head around to look, only to see the Witch peeking out from behind a tree.

"Hi... um... what was your name again?" I asked.

She frowned. "Vivi," she said, stepping from behind the tree. "And you're Molly. We've met before, you know."

"Yeah, I remember," I said. "Um... no offense, but I kind of came here for some alone time."

"Well, this is where I live. So don't expect much 'alone time' here," said Vivi lightly, trodding over to me through the snow.

"Well... I guess you have a point. Sorry."

She ignored my apology. "What seems to be the trouble? You _do_ look quite troubled," she said, carelessly plopping down in the snow below me. She curled her striped knees to her chest and stared up at me with her big, red eyes.

"I... I don't know. I made a huge mistake," I admitted.

"What _kind_ of mistake?" Vivi asked.

"I can't say," I said, feeling as though I were talking to a young child.

"Well, then I can't help you," Vivi said, beginning to stand up. Then, her eyes widened as if she realized something, and she dropped herself back down onto her knees. "Hey," she said. "Aren't you married to that handsome guy who used to live in Flute Fields?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Ah, he's so dreamy. I used to watch him from the trees," she said, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. "Although, he could lose the hair clips. Then he would be PERFECT."

I giggled. "Amen," I agreed.

"And on some lucky nights, he would forget to close his drapes. I could look through the window while he was asleep-"

"Okay!" I scolded. "I am NOT okay with you talking about my husband like that!"

"Whoa, there!" Vivi exclaimed, holding her hands up defensively. "All I'm saying is that you're a lucky gal!"

"That's messed up," I muttered. "Did you even _know_ him?" I asked.

Vivi shook her head. "Nope! But sexiness is always a good bonus!" She winked a big red eye at me.

I was beginning to think she didn't know a thing about relationships when she spoke up again.

"But what really matters," she said knowingly, "is what's in _here_." She touched her fingers over my heart...

... making me feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

Quickly, I scrambled to my feet, separating myself from the strange girl behind the tree stump.

"Well, buh-bye!" Vivi said, oblivious to how weirded out I was. Then she skipped back into the trees from whence she came.

Stuffing my axe back into my rucksack, I turned and booked it out of the forest, vowing not to come back unless I desperately needed lumber.

But she _did_ have a point... I just didn't think about it at the time.

**xXx**

Running back to Harmonica Town, I hardly knew what I was going to say when I saw him again. All I knew was that I had to talk to him. Now.

I didn't have my horse, so it took a while to get to the clinic. But when I finally got there, I didn't slow down.

As I swung open the door, the first thing I happened to see was Jin, standing behind the counter.

His eyes widened when he saw me. "M-Molly," he stammered, pink blush creeping across his face.

"Jin," I replied. "I... I think you and I should talk about what happened," I stated boldly.

Jin pushed his glasses up his nose, and I thought I could see his hand shaking. "Yes. Molly, I'm very sorry." He walked up to me and gave me a very low bow. When he straightened, he looked right at me. "That's just how I feel. But I didn't have to tell you in such a way. In fact, I shouldn't have told you at all. I'm the one at fault."

I shook my head. "No, no. I should have... I don't know, stopped you somehow."

"You should have decked me," Jin said with a small smile.

Despite the situation, we both giggled at the thought. Then, Jin quickly cleared his throat, his face falling serious again.

"You do know what this means, right?" he asked me.

At that moment, I remembered what he had said about moving back to the city. "You're... you're really going to move?" I asked quietly.

"I have to now," he said matter-of-factly. "I went straight home last night and packed my things. Tomorrow, I leave."

Silence fell between us. The doctor bowed again. "Thank you for your friendship, Molly. It was a privilege to get to know you." Then, he turned his back.

But before he could walk away, I grabbed his sleeve. He froze and turned to look back at me.

"That's it?" I asked. "'It was a privilege to know you.' That's all you have to say?"

Jin didn't respond. I kept my hold on his sleeve.

"I..." I said, not sure how I was feeling or what I would say. But the next words that came from my mouth said it all. "I don't know what I'll do if you leave!"

I could see the raw surprise on Jin's face at my words, and I continued to let the words deep inside of my spill from my mouth. "You have always been there for me. But it's more than just that. I think I would die if you left and never came back. Please... I don't even know what to do. And I don't know what I'm even saying anymore, but..." I trailed off, tearing my eyes away from Jin and staring at the ground in shame. What was I saying?

Slowly, I let go of his sleeve. He didn't move- he stayed exactly where he had stopped. "Do you really mean all of that?" he asked in a hushed voice.

I didn't say anything. What else could I say.

Jin took a step closer to me. "How do you feel about me, Molly?" he asked, even quieter.

Suddenly, I felt his hand wrap around mine. He placed his other hand beneath my chin and tilted my head up to look at him. "Look," he said. "Chase may be hotheaded and a bit rude sometimes, but he's a good guy. I don't want to take something that he cares about. Even if I care just as much, or even more."

An unexplained feeling of frustration came over me. Automatically, I shoved his hand away from my chin, tore my hand from his, stood on my tiptoes, and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips firmly against his. Jin didn't move a muscle the entire time- he just let me hold my lips against his up to the moment I lowered myself, dropping my hands and staring intently at him.

"Then why didn't you push me away?" I asked. "Why did you let me do that just now?"

Jin stared at me for a long time, shock written all over his face. Then, he shook his head. "You're _married_," he said. "No matter how much I want this, the fact that you're married remains the same."

"Jin..." I said, at a loss for words now. What had come over me so suddenly? Why did I suddenly feel so strongly?

Most importantly, what the heck was the matter with me?

When I still said nothing, Jin turned his back to me and made his way to the back of the clinic. "I'm leaving tomorrow," he said without turning to look at me.

Then, he disappeared behind the door, leaving me alone in the dark clinic.

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**I'm not gonna lie- I surprise myself when I'm writing. It's like I'm reading the story myself! Initially, I had planned for this "affair" thing to be more one-sided (you can probably tell from the previous chapters). But I guess that's not where it's going after all... Oh well! It'll just be juicier, I suppose!**

**Alright, thank you so much for reading! Review review review ;)**


	15. Jin's Moving Fail

**Hello, my dear readers! I really don't have a whole lot to say, except that I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little less than you expected. I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen after last chapter, so when I sat down to write, this is what my typing fingers came up with :) Okay! Have fun reading!**

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**Jin's POV:**

The next day, Jin looked carefully around his bedroom, looking for any items he may have forgotten, when suddenly Irene walked in.

"Well, this was a sudden decision," she remarked, looking at the two big suitcases at the foot of Jin's bed.

Jin looked at his grandmother. "Yes, I suppose it is," he murmured, opening his closet to double-check.

"Is it because of Molly?" Irene asked unexpectedly.

"I just like the city better," he said, taken aback by her question.

"Don't lie to me, grandson," Irene said sternly. "I know what's going on."

Jin froze, his back towards his grandma. He had no idea what to say.

"Believe it or not," Irene continued, "I've been young and in love myself. I know what it looks like, and you, my boy, have it bad."

"Can we not talk about this?" Jin said tiredly, finally turning to face Irene.

"Son." Irene walked up to Jin and placed her bony hands on his slim shoulders. "I think it's good for you to get away for a while. Maybe even find a girl to bring back with you. But I don't think that you have to leave forever."

Jin just looked into his grandmother's elderly, serious eyes and said nothing. Honestly, the thought of being with another girl was something that he hated thinking about. And, although he wouldn't admit it to himself, deep down he was having second thoughts.

"Think about that." His grandmother then turned and left the room.

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

_This is ridiculous. How creepy can one get?_

Yes. I was spying on Jin.

_I just have to let this go,_ I miserably thought. _I would be doing the same thing if it were Chase._

That particular thought made me shudder. How could I love _both_ of them? Shouldn't this be impossible?

I stared out the window, praying that Jin wouldn't see me. The door to the clinic opened, and the doctor stepped outside, two large suitcases in tow. As he walked down the slanted path, I quickly ducked, praying that he wouldn't see me.

"Um, Molly?" Gil's unexpected voice said behind me. I ignored him, peeking back up through the window. "Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee...?"

At that moment, I hardly cared that Gil thought I was the world's biggest weirdo. "I'm good, thanks," I said.

Suddenly, Gil was behind me. "What are you looking at?"

"Um, nothing!" I stood up straight, blocking the window. "There was just a really cute bird, but now it's gone."

"Hm," Gil peered out the window briefly, but lost interest and looked back at me. "What can I do for you?" he asked politely.

"Well," I said, making up a quick excuse. "I had wanted to talk about buying land, but now that I think of it, I have a pretty big schedule. Sorry for the trouble!" And before the mayor's son could say anything else to me, I fled out the door and made my way down to the Brass Bar. Once there, I peeked around the side of the building, to see Jin slipping inside the Fishery. Probably to buy a boat ticket.

And he had left both of his suitcases outside on the dock.

_I wonder if I could fit inside one of those..._ I thought, sizing up the bigger one. _Wait! What am I thinking?! This is ridiculous!_ There had to be another way to keep Jin from leaving, but I had to think fast. Buying a boat ticket didn't take that long.

I ran as stealthily as I could up to the dock. Pascal was standing at the end of the dock, looking out across the ocean, so he didn't see me as I grabbed the two surprisingly light suitcases and darted behind the building.

At that moment, I felt like the biggest moron in the world.

**xXx**

**Jin's POV:**

When he walked back outside the Fishery, Jin noticed that both of his bags were missing.

He didn't think it was a big deal; Pascal had probably taken them already. So, without further delay, he walked up to the captain, boat ticket in hand. "To the city, please," he said.

Pascal smiled and took the ticket. "Fantastic. Are you taking the day off, then?" he asked casually.

Jin frowned. "Well, yes... I mean, I _am_ moving, after all."

Now, Pascal frowned in puzzlement. "Moving? So you're not just taking the day off to shop, or something?"

"What? No!" Jin said, slightly offended. That sounded like something a girl would do! "I'm moving to the city," he explained.

"And you're not taking anything with you?" Pascal peeked around Jin's frame, as though Jin may be hiding everything behind his back.

"I... I thought maybe you took my luggage...?" Jin asked slowly.

Pascal shook his head. "I didn't even see any luggage, boy. Sorry."

"Are you sure? No one around here would steal..." Or, at least, he hadn't thought so.

"Well, I didn't see or hear anyone around here..." Pascal noted. "But I wasn't looking for burglars, or anything."

_They can't have magically disappeared..._ Jin thought, more and more confused by the second. _Where could they have gone?_

"This is ridiculous," Jin muttered. "Those had all my possessions in them." Plus, he couldn't QUITE afford to both move and buy a new... everything. After all, not a whole lot of people came to the clinic, unless they ran out of bodigizers. And Jin only made half the profit, as he worked beside his grandmother.

Maybe he just imagined taking them outside with him?

Without saying another word to the captain, Jin speedily walked back across the wooden dock, determined to find his belongings.

**xXx**

**Molly's POV:**

_It's official. I'm psychotic. I am a psychopath._

I sat on the ground, curled up against the wall of the building I was behind. My hands and knees were covered in wet sand, and I shivered in the cold, feeling ashamed of what I had done.

My eyes darted back up to the patch of sand in front of me. The spot was fresh and damp, while the sand around it was dry.

Burying his luggage was going just a LITTLE too far.

Maybe more than just a little.

The sun was beginning to set. So, after several hours of sitting in the same spot, I stood up, stretching out my sore limbs. Sure, I was crazy for even thinking about doing such a thing, but in the end, I couldn't do it.

Jin was just trying to do what was best. I shouldn't have tried to stop him.

Sighing, I leaned back down to the wet patch of sand and began to dig again. It would be weird and embarrassing to return these to him, but it was the right thing to do.

**xXx**

"Jin."

He was walking up the path to the church grounds. But when he heard his name, he stopped and looked back at me. "Hello, Mol-" He stopped, and his eyes instantly fell to the two sandy suitcases I was holding.

I hung my head and held them out to him. "Here," I said, walking a few steps closer and setting them down. I had no idea what to say or how to explain myself, so I just fixed my eyes on the ground and waited for him to say something. We both stood there in the dark like that for what seemed like ages.

Jin finally spoke. "Why are they covered in sand?" he innocently asked, causing me to wince.

"I... I took them," I confessed. "It was really weird and creepy and immature. And I'm sorry." I still couldn't bring myself to look at him. "I thought that... maybe if you didn't have your things, you wouldn't leave. But you were just doing the right thing. So I shouldn't have stopped you."

Jin was completely silent, making me more and more nervous by the second. When I finally decided he wasn't going to say anything, I bowed deeply to him. "I'm very sorry. Good luck in all you do." And I briskly turned to walk away.

Suddenly, I felt Jin's hand wrap around my wrist. I froze instantly.

"Why?" he asked boldly. "Why would you go that far to make me stay here?"

I anxiously turned to look at him. He didn't let go of my, but his hand slid from my wrist to my hand. "I... I think I might love you."

At that moment, I felt like I was struck by lightning.

"Ah! What am I saying?" My laugh rang out loudly into the empty night.

Before I could say anything else, Jin leaned into me and forcefully pressed his lips to mine. I would have lost my balance if he hadn't pulled me into a tight hug at the same time.

"You're crazy," he said when he pulled away, only inches away from my face.

I nodded my head. "I know," I said.

Jin kissed me again, and again, and again. And I kissed him back every time, not even thinking of the consequences that could follow.

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**Also, I am sorry for the kind of abrupt ending. I wasn't sure what else to say, and I don't want this story to get TOO steamy ;) Review review review, please! Thanks for reading :)**


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